


castles in the air

by justK



Series: random nct works [15]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Suh Youngho | Johnny, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Based on a legend, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, More Relationships to be added, More characters to be added, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Betaed, Omega Qian Kun, Tags might change, ah yes there is sex now, also, but hey, but hey i'm experimenting, but hey they do fuck, but i guess we could place it on the, but i like to treat heats a little differently, but i still don't know, but like very superficial, honestly more feelings and thoughts than sex, i am pretty sure the way i'm establishing the relationships inside it's weird, i do my best, i hope i don't disrespect anyone, i just realised this also perfectly fits in the, imma write the relationships although they are side relationships, it doesn't have a specific setting, lapslock somehow, lowercase?, new tag:, sort of alpha/beta/omega dynamics?, stay tuned, the rest of the characters also have their respective gender but i won't write it here, this might include smut later on, told ya that tags r always changing, warnings might change, which is a lot because i'm actually mixing cultures, with lots of historical inaccuracies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:46:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29598504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justK/pseuds/justK
Summary: legend has it that hundreds of years ago a prince and a plebe fell in love.(they must not be together.but they would, after all.)
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Suh Youngho | Johnny/Qian Kun, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Series: random nct works [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007520
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> not a native english speaker, i apologise for any mistake i could have.

many years ago, during the reign of King Junmyeon I, there was a beautiful young prince, with long jet-black hair, so black that it looked blue under certain rays of light, so healthy that its brightness was dazzling and impossible to ignore. _Kun_ was his name, he was the only son of the King, and an omega in addition, so he was the most protected person in the court, as well as the most sought after, because his beauty was unmatched. there were dozens of Princes and warriors, Dukes and Lords who came from distant lands, some said that to check if it was true that his skin was as white as the snow that surrounded their lands, many others dared to look into his eyes of deep darkness; but the reality was that they all went with the sole purpose of asking for his hand in marriage, something that both, the King and the Prince, rejected, but in such a subtle way, it could lie in their way of speaking, or perhaps in the way they moved, i'd rather say there was something about them that was simply impossible to despise.

the Prince liked to leave the palace, something that his father, the King, allowed him, especially in the early hours of the day or late at night, because his white skin was so immaculate that he could not dare to tan, of course the Prince considered this somewhat crude, even though he already knew it in his heart, the King had made it clear to him since he was just a child and Kun was an excellent son, so he never went against his wishes. 

one afternoon a little before dark, when the sun was low but not yet set, the prince got ready to leave the palace. sitting in front of his dressing table he brushed his hair, tying it in a disheveled bun that only collected half of his hair (since he could not tie it completely because he was single) that looked even more elegant than the most splendid hairstyle of a lady, in spite of the haste with which it was collected, one of the qualities that Kun possessed was to make even the simplest things look beautiful. his lad, Donghyuck, a man younger than himself came up carrying his cloak. 

“you don't want to catch a cold, Your Highness,” Kun watched through the mirror as Donghyuck's playful smile was painted on his plumo lips, a characteristic that always inspired warmth inside him. Donghyuck was not a boy, he had reached marriageable age at least a spring ago, but he was not interested in relationships and his childish nature prevailed, despite carrying a very wise mind with him as well. it was no surprise, then, that Kun had a special fondness for him. 

Kun stood up before turning around. “i thought we agreed that my body is strong enough,” he teased him, turning his back again and accessing the indigo blue piece of cloth over his shoulders. 

“yes, but only because i prepare your infusions myself," replied the young man. “your health is good because of the great care you receive from me,” Kun smiled at the words. he couldn't say it wasn't true, Donghyuck found entertainment in rummaging around in the kitchen, cooking his Prince's meals himself, boiling his teas, preparing his baths, choosing his clothes or applying his lotions. in return, Kun allowed Donghyuck to participate in as many activities as he wanted, because Kun was proud to be able to take care of Donghyuck as much as Donghyuck took care of him. 

“you're right,” Donghyuck circled his body so he could tie the cape over his chest. “what would be of me without you,” he exclaimed, laying a pale hand on Donghyuck's caramel one. 

Donghyuck smiled. “where will you go today?” 

the Prince did not answer immediately, his mind wandered to find the answer. there were times that he preferred to go to the lake about forty minutes from the castle, but other times he simply wandered lost, reaching places that he had never seen before, that was how he had discovered natural crops of berries that from time to time he collected in a basket, to later grind in that way Renjun, Donghyuck's best friend and a palace cook, had shown him to make jams. 

“i don't know,” was his conclusion. his friend (because that was how he considered Donghyuck) looked directly into his large dark eyes, round in appearance despite their sharp edges that pointed up the outer corner and down the tear, painting a small line that seemed drawn towards his little nose. he was still wearing makeup, because Donghyuck only helped him get rid of it every time he returned from his tours, the excuse was that _a Prince should always look well-groomed, no matter the time or place_ , and Kun would be inclined to agree, if not for he used to go out when there was hardly any soul outside, or even light that could illuminate his fine features, but Donghyuck always responded with a _you shine bright enough by yourself, anyone could appreciate your beauty even in the darkest night,_ and there Kun really couldn't fight back. 

“well,” Donghyuck muttered, taking a step back. “wherever you go, be careful and don't forget that you have your last rehearsal tomorrow morning, you shouldn't come back so late, so you can rest.” Kun nodded, starting to walk towards his cabin door with Donghyuck close behind. he opened the door and the fresh air greeted him, there was not so much movement in his residence due to the time of day, but he could still see some guards watching and an occasional servant carrying something. “i will be with Yukhei until your return.” 

“you shouldn't distract a guard on duty, Donghyuck,” Kun reprimanded, unable to hide the smile on his face. Donghyuck replied with an even bigger smile. 

“it's not distracting, it's keeping company,” he corrected. “it must be boring standing in front of a wall for hours, i'll just make his shift more enjoyable.” 

Kun rolled his eyes. “okay, but neither of you will move from there, understand?” 

the young man nodded and when they came to a small rocky path, he took the opposite direction, walking quickly on his nimble legs, yelling in turn a “don't forget to blow the horn in case of emergency!” while Kun continued on his way to where his white horse, already saddled and loaded, awaited him. 

the ritual to get on his horse and out was one that he already knew by heart, he greatly appreciated his privacy, so he had long requested that he be allowed to leave alone, all he needed was a small step to push himself and the rest was done by momentum and his light body. the doors were waiting open for him and then it took him less than a couple of minutes to gallop through them, causing a slight noise as the bag with emergency devices hit the horse's skin. 

it was a pleasure for him to go out without guards and with total freedom, the King trusted his people and that is why he knew nothing would harm Kun out there, besides, every three days he used to send parties to patrol all those corners that Kun adored to visit. 

it was that day when Kun met Youngho through that part of the forest that rose to a small peak with fewer trees than the rest of the area, leaving a perfect view of the vastness of their lands. it felt colder as he climbed, and could easily make him dizzy, if it weren't for Kun's love of heights. dismounting his horse and leaving it secured in a tree, Kun ventured to walk a bit, looking for the most suitable place to sit and watch the last rays of sun disappear. 

it was dark, but Kun could still make out the pretty pinkish-hued flowers that grew in places among the coniferous trees, with straight and flawless evergreen branches, now free of snow because winter had not yet arrived, but looking just as beautiful. 

just as our Prince blinked serenely, the sound of a thundering branch brought him out of his trance zone, forcing him to stand up to investigate, because he was never too careful, it is true that perhaps he could not do much, the only discipline he was dexterous in was the use of the bow, a weapon he was not allowed to carry without company, but he could, in case of danger, run to sound the horn and flee on his faithful stallion as quickly as possible. but as hhe clasped his hands around his long robes to avoid falling, he turned a stone wall to find a young boy squatting, tying bouquets of a plant Kun could not recognise into pieces of white cloth. the man must have heard him, because he stood up and looked over his shoulder to acknowledge his presence. 

making a small jump on his axis, he turned around in an almost graceful way. Kun appreciated the clothes on his body, a _hanfu_ with _ku_ underneath, appropriate for field work, and the material of his clothes looked coarser than his own, a little less skin-friendly and a bit scratchy, indicating to him immediately his hard-working nature. 

“Your Highness,” he greeted after his little leap, leaning at an angle that barely reached ninety degrees, messy and unpolished, but it had been the tone of voice employed and his effort to show him due respect that had moved Kun. with a subtle wave of his hand, Kun motioned for him to stand up. 

“how did you know who i am?” he questioned, venturing to approach the young man. “i thought i had removed the crown from my head to go unnoticed.” 

that man standing tall now, sported his prominent stature and broad shoulders. running the back of his hand to remove a small trace of dirt on his cheek, he proceeded to speak. “with all due respect, i do not believe that any jewel is necessary to make you look illustrious and unaffordable, i would recognise you wherever you were.” 

Kun smiled at him with sealed lips, but the gesture was enough to illuminate his features and drive anyone crazy. “what is your name, hard-working man?” he dared to ask. 

“ _Youngho_ ,” he replied, and Kun took a step forward that apparently sent him into a mild panic state as he corrected himself. “my name is Youngho, Your Highness.” he received a hum from Kun, made with the vibration of his throat and his closed mouth, just to acknowledge his response. 

“tell me,” the prince spoke, taking another couple of steps to reach Youngho, taking his time to analyse the attractive features of his face, from his straight eyebrows of thick hair, his medium-sized eyes with honey irises, down to his straight nose and the sharp philtrum that sent to equally defined lips. “ _Youngho_. what are you doing around here at this hour?” he craned his neck to poke around Youngho's shoulder and look behind him at the herbs he'd been packing. 

Youngho followed the direction of his gaze and turned his head. “oh,” he exclaimed. “it's pennywort,” he explained, turning to show him. “i collect it to use it as medicine, i regularly let it dry and it is a very good infusion, but now the climate is changing, it is too humid to let it dry, but very good for preparing tinctures or ointments.” Kun watched him sit back low to the ground on his calves and it seemed appropriate to do the same, so he imitated Youngho. “Your Highness,” he called, alarmed by the position, “you don't need to-” 

Kun interrupted him. “i want you to explain to me what you do with this,” he asked, although he did not order it, he still carried a certain authoritarian air, but it was a request and for Youngho that had been enough. 

“well, it can be consumed in drinks when it dries, or it could be tincture or extract to reinforce memory and the town physician says that it also helps with blood,” he paused to look at the Prince out of the corner of his eye only for a few seconds to continue with his task of lashing and securing his load. “of course i don't know that, i just prepare it and sell it in the market.” 

“hmm,” Kun muttered, also glancing at the sharp line of Youngho's jaw. “do you live alone?” 

Youngho finished tying the last bouquet and turned his face to answer. “with my mother, Your Highness.” he turned his body to the front as well and dropped onto the small patch of grass under his feet. Kun followed suit, but taking a seat on a rock a little higher and more comfortable for him, since his tight clothes prevented him from breathing properly in a position so close to the ground. “if it is not much indiscretion, Your Royal Highness,” he lowered his head and, consequently, his gaze, “what brings you here?” 

Kun would have loved that, like everything in the woods, this young man was unaware of him, to feel free to speak and act as he wanted, in a way somewhat similar to the one he used to use when his cousin Ten visited him, but it is only that Ten was even more ostentatious than himself, carrying jewels everywhere, and any flash of them ended up taking Kun out of that comfortable atmosphere that he wanted to imagine. here, however, with this man he did not know, despite being recognised as royalty, Kun managed to feel a glimpse of normality that sometimes he felt like chasing. he replied sincerely: “sometimes i want to be away from palace life, feel an air of normality, a certain ignorance even of the environment around me.” 

it was Youngho's turn to hum in response. “well, the forest is a very good place to get lost from everyone and find yourself,” he pointed to the now dark landscape with his hand. “beyond that hill there are some waterfalls, have you ever seen them?” 

Kun stood tall in his place at the information and in a hurry, turned his attention to the stranger he had just met. “no,” he answered truthfully. “but i would love to.” 

“i can take you there, it would take us a couple of hours, but i promise you, Your Highness, it's worth it.” 

“i figure,” he smiled. 

Kun did not continue speaking and Youngho did not say anything in response, but the silence that enveloped them was soothing and calm, something Kun would not have expected to find in a person he had just bumped into. they could have spent hours or perhaps mere minutes, whatever it was, each second felt like a bond uniting them both in a way that neither could understand, but they did not question it and that is, perhaps, the nature of everything. 

“do you come here often, Prince?” Youngho's deep voice echoed through the darkness, breaking the silence but not the harmony. 

“as many times as i can,” he replied. “what about you?” 

“funny, i come almost every day and i had never run into you.” 

their faces could not be seen very well under the dim light of the moon, but it was not necessary to know that Youngho was smiling, Kun was listening to that singular way in which smiles were heard when speaking. 

“maybe it wasn't for us to meet earlier,” Kun commented, without trying to explain or justify anything in particular, since his tone of voice was rambling, that didn't take away from the fact that he sounded soothing, as if he wanted to reassure someone without even knowing it. he sighed and heard Donghyuck's high-pitched voice echo in his mind. “i should get going.” 

“do you have a place to be?” 

Kun stood up, running the palms of his hands over the fabric of his robe to remove any possible traces of dirt or wrinkles. “in the morning, to the last rehearsal of the last banquet before winter,” he said. 

“will you be back tomorrow?” Kun should not have felt that rush of hope that ran through his body at the words, words that sounded like a promise that both, he and Youngho, were unaware of. 

“at sunset.” 

Youngho nodded. “i can help you escape from what torments you in there, i will bring rye bread and jellies to share.” 

“oh,” Kun sighed, bringing a delicate hand to his chest. “it's not that something is tormenting me,” he explained, “but something binding me.” 

“you can be free out here then,” he smiled and Kun noticed that, during this their first meeting, it was the first time Youngho had smiled and it was intriguing, like something that could make Kun return to the same point over and over again. “i'll be here, in case we meet again.” 

Kun nodded, but no longer responded, instead he dedicated himself to backing away as far as he could without turning his back on the pleasant young man, putting one foot behind the other in a perfect straight line until he was away and it felt appropriate to turn his back on him without any remorse. he did not stop to think about the pleasant moment that had passed, nor about the way in which Youngho's worn hands did a routine job for him, but that for Kun seemed dreamy, until he returned to his residence, where Yukhei, his personal guard was waiting for him at the entrance. 

“did you have fun, Your Highness?” 

“hmm,” he nodded. “thanks for waiting for me, i'm sorry to keep you tuned at this time.” he apologised as he looked at the hanfu slightly heavier and covered in metal in areas to protect him during combat. 

“it's nothing, my Prince,” Yukhei was playful, in a different yet similar way from Donghyuck, and those times he addressed him, he managed to make him feel almost normal, because he couldn't dare to drop the title, but the tone of his voice was enough. “i just do my job.” 

“but these days you have permission to retire early,” during the week leading up to banquets or festivals, the royal family's personal guards used to receive long, pleasant nights of sleep, to be as alert as they should be during events, leaving zero chance to any tragedy with how well they performed. 

“you're getting rid of me,” Yukhei joked walking beside him, another guard had been in charge of closing the gates. “Donghyuck is waiting for you in your quarters, i trust you won't get lost on the way?” 

Kun smiled at him and with an elegant nod, he said goodbye to Yukhei, reaching his bedroom and letting Donghyuck get rid of all impurities on his skin and clothes. he refused to relive the cool air brushing his hair or the hard rock under his body, but the pillow took it upon itself to remind him, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo  
> this came through my mind the other day i was reading a legend that i absolutely adore, it is legend that is inspiration for painters, writers and just people in general, so i decided to take the idea, respecting the origins, adoring it the way it should be adored and respected, but twisting it to create a story.  
> i honestly don't know how this is gonna go, but i hope you enjoy :))  
> this is slightly placed in the alpha/beta/omega au, but just in a merely superficial way, just so i can suit some characteristics i want that i wouldn't be able to place in a normal setting, i'll explain more of the ideas as we go  
> also, it's going to be chaptered, but idk how many chapters there'll be or how long this will be  
> fun fact: i selected Suho as Kun's father because idk if i'm crazy, but to me they share some similarities, not only in their leadership or the way they treat their members, but also slightly in appearance, but hey i dunno man i could be tripping  
> -n


	2. Chapter 2

Kun might have gotten up later if not for Donghyuck knocking on his door in hurried sets of three, exclaiming “Your Highness! please wake up,” no one entered his booth without Kun giving his permission first, so with all his regret, he turned on the padding and forced his eyes to focus on Donghyuck's somewhat distorted figure through the translucent paper. “you are going to be late and i don't want to be there to see it.” Kun smiled and blinked a few more times to get used to the light, at the same time one more figure appeared next to the one belonging to his assistant, the morning light was enough to mark the silhouettes perfectly. “oh, Yukhei!” 

“where is His Highness?” Kun sat up to rearrange his robes. 

“you can come in now, Donghyuck,” he indicated to the younger boy and through the _shōju_ he saw the small figure leap in an eagerness that Kun would have called relief. 

“yes!” he replied, but did not go in immediately. “His Highness will be a little late, am i counting on you to-” 

Yukhei interrupted him. “yes, i will prepare everything.” 

Donghyuck entered his room seconds later, with a small smile on his face and a blush that painted up to his nose, the one that used to appear when he was worried and agitated. Kun understood it, many, if not all, of his public appearances anywhere depended mostly on Donghyuck, on how effectively he was doing his job and how committed he was to have his Prince presentable and on time. “now get up,” he indicated and before Kun could open his mouth to reprimand him, Donghyuck stopped him. “no, Your Highness. you'll excuse me for my ways, but i must have you ready in less than the tea is heated if i don't want the King to throw me out of here.”

Kun rolled his eyes in a gesture that would have been considered vulgar, but Kun always executed it so well that it just seemed like a flutter of his eyelashes, now, depending on the situation, it could make anyone feel judged, without really offending, or else, he could express fondness like the one he felt for Donghyuck. “as if i could allow that, pup.” the young man was placing his training dress on a screen to facilitate dressing and Kun stood up when he saw him take out the _qun_ , he stood up to approach his friend. “what was that with Yukhei, out there?” 

that made Donghyuck jump in his place. “what are you talking about?” he asked, while his face showed no emotion other than the rush that moved him, Kun knew better. 

“i just wonder,” Donghyuck reached out to begin to remove his clothes, leaving them well folded on a bench, Kun trembled very slightly when the cool air caressed his bare white skin, “if you stay just to keep him company by making him have a good time.”

the cold fabric of the _yi_ slid down his arms and torso and Donghyuck tied it up quickly, first on the left side, then on the right, and only then did he respond. “if you are suggesting that i have feelings for Yukhei, you are wrong.” the _shan_ was next, crossing the lapels and being tied to his side. “he's not the one my heart beats faster for,” Kun smiled and looked closely at the tanned face as Donghyuck stepped closer and bent very slightly to wrap his arms around Kun's torso to tie the qun, his hair was long and tied very well in a semi bun that showed off its gentle aroma. 

“hmm,” Kun muttered, raising his arms so that the last piece, his full width belt, hugged his slim waist like a corset, highlighting his subtle curves. “so, who is the lucky one?”

Donghyuck fell before him so he could slip his soft feet into long white socks and then his shoes. “ah, Your Highness!” he snorted and without getting up he looked at him, raising his head. “do you want to know my life?” 

Kun laughed, showing his small, well-aligned teeth that were adorned by a pair of dimples that particularly highlighted his cheerful self. “not at all. but you are my friend and i just want to feel calm in my heart, to know that it is healthy, viable and that it will make you happy.” his assistant stood up, using both hands to rotate Kun's body and make him sit in front of his dresser. “will you tell me?” 

there was no immediate response, instead, Donghyuck took Kun's long black hair, brushing it with devotion until he felt satisfied, then he made some divisions with his nimble fingers, to braid the middle and arrange it in a well secured high bun. it was until he turned around to search for the perfect accessory that his voice was heard. “i'm not sure you approve of my will,” he said, picking up a tiara that barely fit around the bun, made of thin steel shaped in delicate leaves that glowed in shades of violet, the perfect colour to match his lilac outfit. “but it is His Majesty's latest guard.” 

it was only a couple of moons ago that his father had promoted his general's son to a somewhat more tense but more important position. “Yoonoh?” it was his name. Donghyuck didn't dare to look at him as he took out the box containing the makeup. “i'm sure i'm the least likely to judge your tastes and decisions,” after all, Kun was hopelessly drawn to banal things, like a moment shared in silence, like a tour of desolate places, or the hard work of a person who fought for what he wanted. “just be careful.” 

he watched him nod and when Donghyuck leaned in to begin applying a soft blush to his cheeks, Kun counted the moles scattered across his skin, getting lost in them and in time until Donghyuck had finished applying ink that was barely visible on his lips and outlining his eyelid with an extremely thin line, very close to the line of his lashes and that went beyond the limit of his eye, following the line of feline appearance. Donghyuck never applied rice powder to his face, as Kun was so pale, that even the powder was ridiculous. 

“we're done,” he announced, straightening up and quickly packing everything into the box. “you're lucky to have me, otherwise you wouldn't have done it as fast and stunning as we did.” 

“i know i'm lucky,” Kun replied, standing up and smiling at him, Donghyuck tossed his hair back in a flattered gesture. 

“but hey, don't just stand in there,” he shook his hands to urge him to move. “Yukhei is waiting for us with the horses-” 

“is it not too much?” moving within the grand palace was more efficient on foot, he meant. 

Donghyuck shook his head. “it wouldn't be if you had gotten up on time,” he opened the bedroom door and stepped aside to let Kun out first. “what made you enjoy a longer sleep, anyway?” 

Kun's mind wandered as he made his feet move, one in front of the other, following the path that led to where Yukhei was waiting for him with the steeds, to shorten the transfer time, from fifteen minutes to less than five. he had dreamed of that hill in the middle of the forest, with the soft melody that the wind produced and how pleasant it felt against his skin; he had dreamed of valleys full of centella, and especially of the hands that collected it, arranging it in perfect bundles that would serve many people in the town. 

“i don't know,” he decided to reply. “i think i relaxed too much.” 

he only received a hum in response and immediately afterwards, in order to get him on the horse, Yukhei girded his waist with both well proportioned hands, which Kun knew to be strong and skilled in combat, a characteristic that had been inherited from his father, General Wong, even to Guangheng, Yukhei and Renjun's beta brother. 

“today feels like one of those days that makes you just want to go out and gallop until sunset, don't you think?” Kun did not have to turn his head to know that Donghyuck would deny it, despite being very good with horses, he preferred to stay with both feet anchored to the ground, which is why he always rushed Kun to be able to move on foot, without need to use horses. 

but Kun was inclined to agree. “you're right. if you don't have much to do, Yukhei, you can take the afternoon off.”

they were reaching the open area where Kun mostly practiced archery, but since it was the last festival before winter that was coming, he was now rehearsing a few dances as well. 

“i don't think your father will allow me-” his sentence was interrupted when the King appeared from the side, with his companions and that warrior that Donghyuck longed for, whom Kun had known from a very young age, since they had only taken a year of age difference. 

“allow to...?” he asked and Yukhei may have thrown himself off the horse at that moment, the words King Junmyeon may have heard could be misinterpreted. 

Kun got off the horse to greet his father, the momentum of his movement causing his long lilac skirts to collide with his father's blue as he bowed. “good morning, father. Yukhei only refused my offer.”

in terms of stature, Kun and his father were basically the same and in terms of facial features, they shared more than what Kun might have inherited from his alpha father who had already passed away some years ago. the reason Junmyeon had not been removed from the throne upon his husband's death was because he had proven to be a very good sovereign during his time as regent, when his council would meet to discuss who would be the next leader, only to leave without success of each meeting, thus reaching the conclusion that Junmyeon was the best option, in addition, his status as a beta gave him enough validity to maintain the throne. that did not remove, of course, the desire of various nations to remove such a king from the throne, some felt offended and even attacked, having a non-alpha at such a high level. 

“and what was that offer?” 

“to take the afternoon off, once i finished my duties.” 

only then did Yukhei and Donghyuck dismount the horses, when the King smiled without opening his lips, closing his eyes a little, and that was perhaps the feature that made him look like Kun or Kun look like him the most. 

“i don't see why not, Yukhei,” he finally said. “don't disobey my son.” 

Yukhei bowed very slightly before him and replied, “yes, Your Majesty.” 

Kun smiled at him as well, and that was all sign that both Yukhei and Donghyuck needed to retreat and take a seat at the kiosk, while Kun prepared to start practising. 

“do you feel ready?” Junmyeon asked, bowing his head and making the ornaments of the hat that protected him from the sun dance at the angle. 

a couple of steps to the left, Kun had a base that held his bow and arrows, this time the swanky one, elegant blue feathers that were meant more for display, perfect for the upcoming event, rather than the modest arrows with beige feathers that was his favourite and the one he used to train with. 

“why don't you tell me?” he took the utensils and prepared to shoot. “any criticism Your Majesty has will be well received.” as soon as he felt the rope against his cheek, he let it go, not even bothering to focus properly. the arrow did not hit the target flawlessly, but a little further to the left, still within the target, but not in the pure center. had he bothered to correct his posture or examine his surroundings beforehand, it might have fallen as neat as the rest of Kun's person. 

Junmyeon turned his head towards his son, having seen the hasty demonstration. “i have nothing to judge but to suggest concentration,” he told him, taking a couple of steps in front of him in the direction of his own tower. “i don't think it's that necessary, but it could be of some use.” he didn't give Kun time if he planned to respond for he retreated lightly to watch him from above, leaving Kun with nothing else to do but focus his eyes on the bow.

in the distance he heard, after a couple of minutes, a couple of feet walk in his direction. he turned his head, closing his right eye to hold the sunlight on his face, and thus he could see the figure of his cousin approaching. 

Ten was his closest cousin, the same age, just a lunar cycle younger; he did not live with him, as his father Baekhyun, Junmyeon's second brother, refused to let him leave his province as he was his only son, but Kun had been fixing everything to bring him with him for a couple of months now. _come with us, uncle_ , Kun had asked, _i'll prepare your residence myself_. that was weeks ago and Baekhyun had accepted, under the excuse that a couple of seasons away from home would do him good. the arrival of both, however, represented a sudden whirlwind in the palace, both were a whirlpool of emotions and attitudes that not just anyone could deal with. 

he wore tight-fitting clothes like Kun's own, in a pearly blue hue, his hair was worn in a braided half-ponytail that let the rest cascade down his back; his earrings were long and the clasps on the sides of his head sparkled with fury, his eyeliner was also more prominent, not loaded, but somewhat more artistic, something that Jungwoo, Ten's assistant and friend, had learned to master after so many years serving him. 

Kun felt Ten's strong scent on his nose before feeling his hips collide with his own. “i can't believe you turned down a match with me for participating in this,” was how he greeted him. “it is more elegant to wield a sword than a bow, Kun.” 

he knew it, and he also knew how to perform those dances that Ten spoke of, but perhaps it was because of his position closest to the royal cradle, why the King asked him to participate publicly in other types of demonstrations, keeping those that compromised his body for special occasions. Ten, for his part, had a little more freedom and an excessively liberal father. 

“defeat me today and we'll see what to do,” he proposed, meeting Ten's brown eyes in the middle, which rolled in a slightly more reckless manner than Kun's used to, but no less graceful. 

here he snorted. “you know i'm struggling with the bow, you might as well tell me you don't want to.” 

“it's not that i don't want to, it's that this is the assigned number.” 

“and will it take too long?” he asked in a tone resembling a whine. “i want to finish the rehearsal as soon as possible to take a long bubble bath.” Kun frowned in his direction, amused at the complaint. Ten noticed his gesture and raised an offended or defensive shoulder. “what? i want to be presentable by tomorrow.”

“you are _always_ looking good, as if to attend even the most expensive and elaborate ball,” Kun remarked, looking over Ten's entire figure, as if wanting to emphasize his point. 

“there's nothing wrong with wanting to look good,” he excused himself and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “are you ready for tomorrow?” Kun was barely going to answer a redundant _yes_ , when Ten continued speaking. “i'm not talking about the event, but about all the proposals that await you.” his comment was accompanied by a subtle lift of the eyebrows, raising them in inquiry. 

Kun sighed. “let's not talk about that, all right?” and he tightened his grip around the well-carved wood of the bow, considering lifting it up and trying a second shot. “what about you?” 

Ten's face lit up at the question and it became very easy for him to forget what he had questioned earlier. “oh, i'm very ready.” 

“who is the one that interests you?” Kun raised an eyebrow, but still staring at the target, he braced himself and released the arrow. 

“Sicheng,” he said. the name sounded very familiar on his lips and Kun's mind worked to try to remember as soon as possible. “you know, one of the Princes of the north,” he explained, and Kun made more sense of the name after that. 

he turned his head to look at him without saying anything for ten seconds, processing. “since when?” he finally asked. 

“hmm, a couple of months ago,” he calculated and started a little walk that seemed more like a back and forth around Kun. _why is it that everyone is finding someone so suddenly?_ he questioned himself. “he's the fourth Prince in line for the throne, so i don't consider it a problem to win the King's favor.” 

“fourth in line is still quite imminent,” Kun reasoned. “do you, perhaps, want to be King?” 

Ten shook his head and his earrings jerked with the movement, making small sounds of crystals colliding. “i have never wanted to be King, but i do want Sicheng to be my husband. he sent his younger brother, Chenle, to my residence a couple of weeks ago to take a few painting classes. i see a fairly close future with him, if i'm allowed to say.”

Kun nodded, more subtly than Ten, wagging a few soft strands of hair that framed his face. “i will do what i can for you,” he promised. “although i'm sure your father has already commented on it, if you have let him know, that is.” 

“and what will you do today?” Ten changed the subject. “will you go out in the afternoon?” 

Kun already had what he wanted to do planned and so he rushed to finish all his tasks, shooting straight at the target for thirty minutes while Ten waited for him sitting next to Donghyuck and Yukhei under the shade of the kiosk. he also danced with his cousin, moving his hands in sync, placing his little feet in appealing figures, in a sequence that he had memorised over the last few weeks, listening to Ten's comments and questions such as: _if i wear more makeup, do you think he'll like it more?,_ Kun denied such inquiries, first claiming that he did not need to use so much to highlight his beauty and later he remarked the purpose of the dance, “we are offering a tribute to winter, to make it pleasant or at least bearable, not seducing, cousin. for that you will have plenty of time later.”

thus came the end of his afternoon and with Donghyuck almost stumbling behind him as he followed, Kun dumped his jewels in the cabin and then ran to Xuě, the mare that belonged to him. 

“you haven't even eaten, Your Highness!” Donghyuck yelled at him from the courtyard door of the residence. “it is dangerous!” 

“don't worry, Hyuck,” Kun replied, pulling the reins to make the horse turn just enough to give Donghyuck a look. “i'll be fine.” 

now, there was very little Donghyuck could do at this point, other than watch the Prince sit upright, protruding, with both hands holding the reins close to his body to guide the great white animal that rocked its body effortlessly while Kun's long hair floated like a veil in the air. 


	3. Chapter 3

it became easier for him to follow the path of the night before now that there was more light changing the perspective, illuminating the green evergreen leaves, with rays that seemed to be more opaque for the next arrival of winter. the place seemed cold, even though he could feel a certain warmth on his pores, and, accompanied by the serious-toned weather, Kun had trouble deciding whether to prefer the forest at this time of day or at dusk like the day before. 

Kun did not stop his course, except to deviate a bit towards a stream surrounded by uneven river stones of different shades of gray, framing the crystal clear water, so clean and alive, that Kun could almost imagine a nymph emerging from the depth. he let Xuě drink water, getting off her back to allow her full movement, while he remained by her side, trying to stabilise his feet on the rocks, the soles of his shoes were so smooth that any misstep could send him into the river. once he had achieved a good balance, Kun crouched down, resting all his weight perfectly on the soles of his feet, so that the water was within reach, moving in gentle waves caused by the muzzle of his horse, small waves that carried tiny evergreen branches fallen from the pines, scattered like sparks on the surface. it was those small details, which Kun found mundane but most attractive, back in the palace, the waters and courtyards, gardens and bridges were cleaned with great precision, at least three times a week, making the place he called home, look so perfect it didn't seem real. 

he took his hand out of the water and with a short sigh, he pushed himself onto the horse, placing both legs on each side of the animal's body, despite knowing that anyone inside the castle would see it improper because he was not wearing pants, but Kun was not in the palace and where there were no eyes, there was no one to judge him, except perhaps the gods, whom Kun respected with great devotion. people used to say that he was favoured, a darling of the deities, because everything he touched acquired essence, every piece of land he stepped on lit up, a person who saw him felt blessed and not a thing had gone wrong since Kun had been brought into the world. 

“Hòutǔ,” he murmured to the wind, ascending the hill making satisfying hoof sounds that could send him to sleep. “wonderful are your landscapes. what i would give to have a hand as precise as Ten's, to be able to illustrate such a beautiful work of art.”

he reached the same point of the day before, braking only when he had Youngho's silhouette in his field of vision. he had heard him, of course he had, but he did not move to acknowledge his arrival immediately, that could have made Kun feel ignored, but little could he be offended when he could admire the hair floating in the air, of a notoriously lighter hue than his own, he could see now with light, tangled in places and held with a worn clasp. it was normal, it was just hair, strands tied to the head like anyone else's, but it seemed completely foreign to Kun, more tangible than any real head dancing in the palace. 

“i thought you wouldn't come, Your Highness,” Youngho spoke before turning around. “you didn't answer yesterday, but i decided to take the risk and come anyway.” 

Kun got off the horse, leading it with him to the man. “i couldn't miss those jams you promised, could i?” Youngho turned then, his clothes were not the same although they were terribly similar to those of the previous day, the only difference was the worn blue color of the fabric on the lapels of his shan, which Kun believed he had noticed green in the dark. 

“i would like to ask,” Kun looked up to see his face, just as Youngho approached his mare to stroke her fur, “isn't it considered unwise to meet a commoner in the middle of the forest, alone?” he extended a tough-looking palm, probably from hard work, and Kun took it as a cue to hand over the rein. 

“shall i tell you the truth?” 

Youngho tied Xuě to a branch and Kun followed him with his eyes. “please do.” 

it is not that Kun did not want to tell the truth, he would have said it in a different way only, making use of the classes he had received as a child to beautify his language in that way that he sometimes hated to hear from the suitors who used to go after him. but, why should he do what he hated with a young man who deserved nothing but his truth, pure and unaltered? 

he sighed. “yes,” he replied. “they finding us would not bring anything good,” he lowered his head and took the opportunity to find a suitable space to sit. “but we are not doing anything that compromises us, and even if we were, i'll be honest, _Youngho,_ i do not care.” 

there was a basket resting on a rock, with woven bamboo branches, which looked brown near the base and green at the top. Youngho took it and walked over to drop down beside him, keeping a couple of feet of distance. “so tell me, why are you taking the risk?” 

“well,” he licked his lips. “i've always liked going out to the forest, it's like a liberation for me, i didn't plan to find company here, but you have been and i think i guess i liked not being completely alone yesterday.” 

“ _i am a stranger,_ Your Highness,” he warned, turning his head to the other side to probe the contents of the basket and remove the bread. 

“and yet, you behaved in the only way that could have prompted my heart to not run away from you,” it was true. it had been the calm reaction and the permission to approach him that had made Kun want to return. the mere fact of Youngho showing respect, not attacking him as many people would have done in order to feel some power, but remaining calm in the presence of someone important, was all that Kun wanted inside and outside the palace. “you don't want to hurt me, do you?” 

Youngho shook his head and hurriedly handed out the bread and the deep purple jelly. “nor do i expect your trust, even so, i will venture to ask this other question: what prompts you to leave the palace?” 

“how do you imagine life in there is?” Kun asked back instead of answering, and that gave him enough time to bite the bread and taste the sweetness, a bit sour in some corners, but all in the right measure, Kun had to close his eyes to process it. “it's delicious,” he complimented. “who prepares it?” 

“my mother,” he replied with a smile. “i pick the berries and she makes the jams, and every morning she takes out some bread,” Kun let his eyes absorb the boyish line of his smile, which looked mature and age-appropriate, but perhaps because of the mention of his mother was that he looked childish. Kun wondered if this was what he would look like when talking about his own father. “as for the other question, i imagine it as dreamy.” 

“how curious,” Kun exclaimed. “that is how i imagine life outside.” Youngho looked at him. “in my life everything must always be perfect, not a single hair out of place, i must not stagger when walking, it is difficult to be alone when breathing some fresh air, and i have to direct many people. you are always in the spotlight, without really being in it. and it's so… tiring to be so perfect all the time,” he sighed. “sometimes i just wish i could run, get dirty, work on something other than making bathing utensils or painting pottery.” Youngho laughed very slightly and Kun had to raise his head to look at him with a pout. “is it funny?” 

“not at all,” he denied. “i find it admirable, although ironic.” Kun frowned, Youngho bent both his legs a little closer to his torso, just enough to rest his elbows on his knees. “life out here is fighting every day to survive from whatever good we can produce.” the Prince did not stop looking at him intrigued, following every slightest movement. “i would like to show you.” 

Kun frantically nodded his head, no accessories, the movement caused no sound and felt almost ordinary. 

“when?” he asked. 

Youngho's eyes widened at excitement. “Prince, it seems to me that we must first get to know each other, i would not like to leave room for any trace of doubt on your part,” Kun knew himself to be an idealist, but he was understanding and so he did not question the reasons, although he did let his head bow unconsciously, resembling a curious bird. “tell me better about yourself, what is her name?” he gestured with his head to point to the horse resting on the ground. that made Kun laugh. 

“tell you about me or my horse?” the young peasant rolled his eyes, and this time Kun found the gesture abrupt, but no less attractive. “her name is Xuě, she has been mine since she was just a colt. there are stables at the back of the palace and every year they receive new litters of foals, she was the only white mare, maybe eight years ago, they considered her too weak for combat, so they gave her to me.” they both looked at the imperial-looking animal. “do you have any?” 

the question made Youngho look back at him, clasping his hands to play with his fingers. “i do not.” 

“do you come up here on foot every day, then?” Kun's eyes widened and he had to bring his left hand back to support his weight as he shifted his position to look at Youngho. “i should try that next time.” 

“Honestly, Your Highness,” he laughed and stretched one foot closer to Kun's, “i don't think those shoes are the best fit for that. besides, it's nothing, the body gets used to it after years.”

Kun forced himself to close his mouth that remained slightly ajar without noticing, if Joohyun, one of the strictest ladies close to his father, had been there, she would have released a good blow with the fan that would not have touched his skin, but that would have worked to correct any minor errors. “i must return soon today,” he said, accepting another bread. “tomorrow is the festival and i must rest.” 

Youngho nodded, pressing his lips into a fine line. “must you go now?” 

“yes, but don't worry, we still have time,” he placed both hands on his knees and stood up, shaking the imaginary dust from the silk. “i'd like you to ride with me down the road, it's the least i can do. i promise to bring an extra horse next time we meet, or no horse at all.”

Youngho shoved the little things he had brought into the basket again, standing in front of him and leaning back at the sudden closeness. Kun was not very tall, this new person he has met, though, was, towering over him at least one head, the perfect height for the scent emanating from the gland in his neck to reach his nose with the wind. he was an alpha, it was not something Kun could have overlooked at any time, but it was only then that he paid attention to the strong, arboreal aroma, like the stem of some plant or the trunk of a tree, probably the reason why Kun had been slow to detect the smell, being surrounded by forest, it was easy to confuse, but probably outside of it it would be easy to distinguish. 

“i cannot accept, Your Highness,” he replied. “i don't think it's appropriate.” 

“but i'm asking you, doesn't it matter?” placing him in a position difficult to refuse, he saw Youngho run his eyes indecisively over any surface that crossed him. “come on,” Kun said, reaching out to invite him. “You have my permission, Youngho. if i could stop you from exerting yourself, even a little, i will.” he walked towards Xuě and untied her, by that time, Youngho was already starting to follow him, a little unsure, but not so reluctant. “come on, you go up first, i'll go behind.” 

if Youngho was feeling insecure or nervous, perhaps scared, he didn't show it. rather graceless, he put one foot on the stirrup and pushed the other over the animal's back, which took a small step back under the weight. 

“yes, you know how to ride, right?” Kun confirmed, the least useful thing would be an accident in such a remote place. 

“yes,” he finished settling himself and passed the basket into his other hand so he could extend his palm to Kun. “excuse my hands, they are not the finest,” Kun took it, watching the paleness of his fingers mix with Youngho's tan and much larger fingers, feeling under his fingertips a skin, if scratchy, warm enough to provide security. he got on the horse and without touching Youngho too much, he made sure he was ready to start their walk. “ready, Your Highness?” 

simple words, spoken lightly and perhaps with not too much thought, but they found their way to the prince's chest and without knowing if it responded to the journey they were about to begin in the forest or to something else, he said _yes._

they then descended the rocky side of the hill, admiring the hues of cobalt and naval blue painting the sky; no need to exchange words, the silence was not like the one which fell in court at lunchtime or during serious events, it was not uncomfortable nor did it inspire to be filled with empty but ingenious comments, adorned with woven already practised words; it was, instead, one that he had rarely experienced, in which he should not let his mind wander, imagining the possible thoughts in the minds of others, but where he could empty his head and listen to his surroundings. Still, when he saw his destination approaching, he decided to break the silence. 

“have you attended any royal banquet?” 

“no, i just dream of doing it,” was the reply he received. a draft of air engulfed them and Kun had to wrinkle his nose at a lock of hair that made him tingle. “you say it because of tomorrow's holiday, i imagine.” 

“hmm. the doors open after the royal presentation and some citizens can taste braised chicken, duck or _ye wei_ in general, egg tart or some teas,” the horse stopped and Youngho gave him a glance over his shoulder, at which Kun replied with bright eyes, reflecting the stars high in the sky. “why don't you come?” 

a crooked smile made its way, attractive despite being apologetic. “i'm not sure, but i'll try.” Youngho took Kun's hand in his, turning it to put his palm up, so that he could deposit the rein there and jump off the horse. “i wish you the best and much success.” 

Kun extended his hand as if wanting to stop him, but he did not touch Youngho, he just let out a hopeful, “will we meet again?” 

Youngho's hair floated in waves that became tangled when he turned his head. Kun could no longer see his features well, but he could hear his response. 

“time and time again, Your Highness.” 


	4. Chapter 4

“ouch!”

“you're making him bald,” Ten said and Kun saw him through strands of hair that hung over his forehead where Donghyuck had dropped them while he brushed the layer of hair that was attached to his neck, the one that would be loose, and then tied a bun of moderate size at the height of the crown that would be surrounded by braids that would increase the volume. “don't do the same, Jungwoo,” he softly instructed the tall, slim omega, burying a hasp into Ten's own hairstyle. 

Donghyuck shot him a look. “you dream of having me by your side, Your Highness,” it probably was the lower-ranking royal status that Ten possessed, one of the things that allowed Donghyuck to speak to him in such a way, that and the fact that Ten adored the boy in a strange way, perhaps because they were both brats. 

he saw Ten open his mouth to reply, but he did not see him utter a word, because he heard Jungwoo's soft voice. “citrine or quartz?” he asked, holding up a pair of earrings for Ten to see. 

“not citrine,” Ten shook his head, the stones were a brownish-orange hue, a color that really suited his cousin. “we are celebrating the arrival of winter, not autumn.”

“rose quartz,” Kun said, finally able to sit up properly, as Donghyuck was about to finish his work with his hair, placing the _tian-tsui_ on. he pointed to the second earring, silver with pale pink touches where the stones were placed, it was a colour and design that Kun himself would have liked to use, but they had to have different tones in the embroidered touches designed on their clothes and Donghyuck had already selected a colour for him. 

Ten nodded and Jungwoo lowered his hand that was holding the citrine. “i think pink would better complement sapphire, _Your Highness_ has said so himself,” he accompanied the mocking comment with a catlike grin that made Kun stir to reach for him, causing Donghyuck to rudely slide the sapphire brooch over Kun's head. 

“Donghyuck!” he exclaimed and brought his hand to the stinging area. 

the aforementioned shrugged and replied, “you're moving, it's not my fault,” then turned around to mix the pink powder with a little water to create the cream that would cover Kun's cheeks. behind him, Jungwoo, with his long and slender fingers, did the same, only with a shade of pink a little darker, the tone that suited Ten's skin. “don't move, or i won't mind sending you looking unpresentable.”

Kun smiled at him and obeyed, feeling the fabric of the brush against his skin, taking a little more time and feeling it form two thin layers as Donghyuck pass a second smear that would have seemed alarming because he did not like to use too much makeup and it is not that like he needed it, anyone in the palace could very well flatter his perfect skin, but he wasn't worried this time because Donghyuck knew him and Kun trusted his abilities. the little omega proved him right when he moved away to pass him a hand mirror, where Kun saw the skin on his cheeks just a shade higher than normal, a pink that somehow managed to look cold; the wing of the eyeliner protruded from his lash line, long and dark, blurred with a dark blue shadow, the same shade as the _huadian_ between hispigmented eyebrows. Kun opened his mouth in a small _O_ to let out a shocked sigh, but it was Jungwoo who vocalised his thought. 

“oh, great job with the blue one,” he said. “it took me years to learn to apply it.”

it was one of the most difficult colours to apply to the face, a loght shadow could endanger the vulgar or a bad application could look like a blow instead of a resource to highlight a performance, but Donghyuck had done it very well on the Prince, complementing it with a peach hue on his lips. 

the next thing he did was stand up, following Donghyuck to get on a small platform that would make it easier for him to put on his clothes. he slipped his nightgown off his shoulders and he was left naked, white skin glistening in the light that filtered through the translucent paper of the sliding doors. the lines of his body were fine, almost like those of an omega woman, and what little he lacked to be identical to one of them he made up for with an unbeatable posture that highlighted the little worked muscles of his arms, back and abdomen, outlined but delicate in all the right places, like the barely present soft obliques that accentuated his smooth-skinned waist. 

he felt eyes on him, something that didn't bother him at all after being cared for all his life, yet he sometimes appreciated his privacy, avoiding public bathhouses as much as possible. Ten's voice and eyes wandering over his body did not cause him further discomfort. “would it occur to you, cousin," Kun looked at him as Donghyuck put the _zhongdan_ on his torso, “that you could be the next King?" Kun parted his lips as he blinked, he could feel Donghyuck working on tying the _chang_ around his waist, but Kun only saw Ten approaching in a state of nakedness similar to his own and could feel a thin wave of compassion for Jungwoo, who was running behind Ten with his girdle. Ten stopped in front of him and felt him place his small hands on the portion of skin that Donghyuck had just covered with the fabric, where his own belt would gracefully perch. “don't leave my side during the ceremony, nor even i can bear all the pressure you have sometimes.”

“and what are you going to do?” Kun asked. 

Ten removed his hands from Kun's waist to let Donghyuck tie the tight, immovable naval blue sash. 

“just keep you from getting engaged to someone you don't want, cousin,” his eyes lowered and Kun followed their trail. “this womb should only carry the son and heir of the man you want.”

Kun barely blew out a breeze and turned his eyes to the front. “we are not looking for my future husband here, Ten.” He brought his hands forward to accommodate the silk of the pink lapels of Ten's _zhaoshan_. 

“no,” he confirmed. “but you are my brother and you are beautiful and it is stressful to see so many suitors trying to eat you alive. i fear that one day you will simply agree, without fighting for what you truly want.”

feeling moved, Kun took Ten's hand and smiled at him. 

“i'll be fine.” 

“if it serves of any consolation,” Donghyuck interrupted, “i protect my Prince tooth and nail, Your Highness.”

Kun stepped off the dais and shook his head. “this day is about enjoying the event, not about babysitting me.” the movement of something caught out of the corner of his eye like a confused stain made him turn around to see Donghyuck bending down for an umbrella the colour of his clothing. “you will have fun, right?”

“of course!” Ten's skirts bobbed as he took a dreamy turn. “Sicheng will be here and-” he broke off, seemingly having realised something suddenly. he brought a hand to his mouth. “oh! but i said i won't leave you alone-”

Jungwoo opened the door for both Princes to come out so they could walk through the elaborate garden of Kun's residence, the most picturesque of the palace, adorned with peonies and plum trees and stones framing the paths, those that led to the lakes subtly rose to form bridges protected with red or brown railings, blending with tree branches and green leaves reflecting green mirages on the water's surface. they walked on the smooth paved ground, listening to the sound of the slight impact produced by everyone's heels as they walked, Kun and Ten in front, almost at the same level, with the youngest of the two Princes just a step behind; Donghyuck and Jungwoo followed them, each to their respective royal, holding the umbrellas over their heads to cover them from the sun.

Kun interrupted what Ten had been saying. “you go with your Prince,” he indicated, shaking his hand as to downplay it. “after you introduce him to me, of course.”

the path they followed opened to the right, which was where the door that connected with the rest of the more serious-looking gardens was located so that they could walk to reach the main patio, where most of the guests were already waiting. they veered off and as soon as the shadow of some trees covered them, Donghyuck moved to the front.

“i'll stay with him,” he said. 

“you will go with Yoonoh,” Kun told him, slowing his steps periodically to a stop. “you don't think i'll let you miss the chance, do you?”

“who will stay then?”

Jungwoo sometimes tended to be reserved, but not because he really was, but because his mouth used to get him in trouble that he knew neither Ten nor Kun bothered at all, but he had a hard time stopping his funny thoughts once they started and he never knew what new presence might come to keep them company. Kun snapped him out of his moment of self-awareness by staring at him with raised eyebrows. Jungwoo let out a strangled sound from his throat that stole some laughs from them.

“why should it be me?” he tried to defend himself. “you know i'm very bad company-”

“you like Yukhei,” he didn't ask, Kun knew it and wouldn't waste time trying to solve a solved mystery, which was further confirmed by the way Jungwoo looked straight ahead, the tendons in his neck became visible for brief seconds as he tensed and his neck looked slimmer, adding an illusion of greater stature to his already tall frame. Kun tilted his head slightly, questioning. “and Yukhei must stay with me,” he added, almost burying his nose in the servant's personal space. “does it not suit you?”

Jungwoo did not turn to look at him, but his earrings trembled in small, barely visible motions that Kun would take as a display of nerves and not fear. whatever it was, anything that Jungwoo might have responded died in his throat when the sound of a pair of feet shuffling near them interrupted. while Donghyuck and Ten only turned around and Kun straightened up, Jungwoo jumped a little and leaned back. 

“is everything alright?” it was Yukhei, wearing blue imperial armour with rather sloppy patterns across the fabric that matched Kun but stood out enough. 

“of course,” Kun replied, Jungwoo beside him was nodding his head almost frantically and a childlike smile appeared on the soldier's handsome face. “let's go.” 

the path to the main courtyard was not long, but it was a ritual that the Prince arrived ostentatiously, inside his own golden litter for this occasion, with Ten inside a similar, smaller and more brown hue, both carried by guards of great stature, which made Kun not worry so much about his weight and the discomfort it could cause. 

they passed the long gardens in a kind of line, in silence and at a moderate speed that was to be appreciated, because going inside a small cabin without wheels, depending on the people outside was quite scary, but Kun already knew the feeling by heart, he knew he had to first feel which side leaned the most to accommodate his body according to the movement and not tremble with every step his people took outside. 

little by little, the simple open areas appeared adorned with white rice paper lamps and decorative lanterns of different colours on the posts and trees, while tables with long tablecloths and members of the religious cult wearing their gray robes lay on the floors. there were people too, some sitting, some standing, having conversations or looking around, the clothes that covered them, to Kun were mixed in pleasant coloured blurs of which he could not be bothered to decipher the faces of, they were many and they were not close enough to him, it was enough to know that they were people of the high elite with whom he could never forge a bond. 

the tour came to an end and little by little Kun felt the bunk being lowered to the floor until he felt stable. the small door opened and Yukhei's tanned hand appeared, offering support to get out. 

“thank you,” he said, running his hands through the folds of her skirt. 

the guard nodded once. “they are waiting for you.”

Kun hummed and felt the urge to turn to look for his cousin, but he knew he shouldn't turn anywhere and almost had to rely on his sense of smell to detect his scent and position. 

“remember that it is not the entrance that people will recall,” from the corner of his eye, he saw the pink that Ten was wearing, “but the grand finale. even so, i daresay we have done well.” they remained in the centre of the courtyard, shoulder to shoulder, until all the servants following them dispersed, leaving the area clear. then they both revered the King and themselves. “i'll see you, my Prince.”

Kun nodded farewell, since during the dance they didn't have much contact. it was a ritual, more than anything else, a ritual to be offered by pure beings to winter and to mother earth to ask for a peaceful winter full of blessings. the prayers were represented by the colours, by the bamboo fans of the colour of their clothes, painted by themselves with the flowers that represented their land, Kun would say that the one Ten was carrying, painted by his own hand, looked better, but Kun did not know, that he was also an excellent artist. but Kun liked music, he liked _guzheng_ or _erhu_ _b_ etween his fingers, the comfort of the wood and the familiarity of its weight, it seemed natural to him, to go, to listen to the notes or create his own in the music room. it was not his turn to play the instruments this time, but the chords reaching his ears filled him with warmth in the same way, inspiring his movements, guiding his curves, controlling the force with which the fan opened or closed. he created lines with his hands and legs that reflected those made by Ten, like a mirror, he moved the opposite foot at the same height and at the same time, letting his head fall forward, his neck long and well placed, in a bow that could be hardly replicated. _bless us, Majesty, with your beauty and allow us to enjoy it, uninterrupted, smiling back at each snowflake you give us, we will compensate your mercy with loyalty and hard work._ the people understood the prayer and without moving their lips, they joined their Princes with their hearts. 

the dance ended with both of them swollen on the floor, abdomen on their thighs and head resting on their hands on the floor. no one applauded at the end, because it was sacred, but it was the palms of their hands together, in front of their chests, under their chins, which replaced the din and was just as gratifying. 

Ten approached him when everyone was allowed to move, holding a handkerchief to his forehead, careful not to ruin his makeup. 

“now,” he greeted him. “i know that i promised to scare away anyone who approaches you-”

“huh?”

“my prince!” Donghyuck arrived waving a handkerchief similar to the one Ten was wearing that he used to wipe away the almost zero trace of sweat near his hairline. Kun closed his eyes to take a deep breath and concentrated on continuing to listen to Ten. 

“-but, don't you think _that_ gentleman is nice to look at?” Kun had to open his eyes to see who he was referring to, Ten indicated it with his chin, pointing to someone behind him. 

turning his head slowly to avoid being seen as a peeper, he disguised his curiosity with careless blinks that served to focus his eyes on various points, trying to decipher who it was that Ten was referring to. “who?” he muttered to confirm, his cousin's mind was wild and he couldn't just figure out whether he was referring to a courtier or a royal member. 

“what do you mean _who_?” Ten replied with an offended air. “seek better.”

members of the royal guard were what Kun saw, wearing clothes similar to what he had seen in Yukhei, only some in different hues. in the center of them, not so long honey-coloured hair stuck out in a careless semi bun, rough and masculine. 

“ _Taeyong_?”

“ah!” exclaimed Ten satisfied. “you do have eyes after all.”

Kun turned his eyes to the front and was barely preparing to respond when another Prince arrived, with his long hair down and a small golden crown around his bun, he was tall and thin, with a well-sculpted face and smooth skin. Kun almost brought his hand up to his mouth to cover it at the surprised smile that threatened to appear on his lips, but he blinked fast and lowered his head to acknowledge his presence. “Prince Sicheng.”

now it was Ten who executed a tiny jump in his place as Jungwoo had done before, the jump served as an impulse to turn around and land next to Kun, facing the newcomer. “Your Highness,” he greeted as well, voice controlled and firm, but delicate. “have you enjoyed the event?”

“Princes,” he said, returning the bow. “it was quite moving, i don't doubt that winter will be more enjoyable after such an impressive presentation. although, i'm sure i still have a lot to enjoy,” his eyes wandered, subtle and discreet, to Ten. Kun had to smile at that, only turning his head so as not to appear rude, with the new angle he got a view of Donghyuck pressing his lips together to prevent himself from smiling like an excited young girl. 

he looked forward again and said “i hope you enjoy all we have to offer,” before being interrupted by a new presence at his side: the light-haired warrior. Kun gave him a wave of the hand and a nod. “my cousin will accompany you throughout your stay.”

the fourth Prince nodded, interspersing his gaze a few times between Kun and Ten, leaving it perched on the latter. “i couldn't have asked for better company.”

he couldn't respond to the eyes that Ten gave him when Sicheng waved his hand to point to the way they had to take to retreat, but he knew the meaning was simple, a _talk to him, if you dislike him, wave your handkerchief and i'll come back_ , which Kun would ignore, because there was no way he would dare to interrupt his day. 

he finally turned his body. 

“Captain,” he saluted. “what brings you here?”

“Your Royal presence,” he said in his voice, grave to measure. “i couldn't leave without sharing a moment with you.”

like everyone in the high ranks, the honey that ran from his tongue was inevitable, it was sticky and almost transparent, many times it was difficult to prevent it from falling on oneself, those with a weakness for sweets had it particularly difficult. 

he was handsome, of modest height that was of great help to him in battle, giving him an agility that not many possessed and that was useful in the battlefield, which is why he had been sent to the troops instead of the palace as he should have. being Yukhei the one to earn the spot as a royal guard in the end. 

“let's spend a moment together, then, _Taeyong_ ,” he conceded in a disguised order, everyone behind him moving in sync keeping a few feet of distance in between. Donghyuck was immediately behind, looking in all directions except where his feet were stepping; Jungwoo and Yukhei would come, practically side by side, exchanging whispers. “but, if you don't mind, i'd like to see my father first.”

Taeyong nodded, big eyes looking up at him, framed with perfect eyebrows, a feature that was striking wherever he went. Kun had to agree with Ten, _yes_ , Captain Taeyong was attractive, perhaps too handsome, because even he had a hard time keeping his eyes averted from his perfect features. 

they walked together to the central tower, where at the top stood the King with Prince Baekhyun and various members of his court, all looking like well-carved display pieces. 

“you were late,” Junmyeon said, sipping wine. beside him, Baekhyun brought a piece of fruit to his mouth. 

“which seems optimal to me,” he emphasised. “our children are not meant to wait, they are to be longed for.” that's where Ten had gotten part of his personality. 

“humility, Baekhyun,” Junmyeon chided, in a way he didn't even do with Kun. then he turned to Kun. “gather your boys, son, the doors will open soon.” 

“yes, father.” he lowered his head. “Donghyuck,” he spoke to him, moving his index and middle fingers to indicate him where to stand, next to him and therefore, next to Yoonoh, standing tall and serious by the balcony railing. “i can take the general away from you, right?” the answer was not to be heard and neither did he receive it, the approval was immediately felt and he was able to continue with his indication. “help me with my table, please.” orders were orders, it didn't matter the form and it didn't matter that Donghyuck clenched his hands anxiously. 

his assistant forced himself to respond in any way. “sure, Your Highness,” he smiled, but his voice sounded strained, nervous, even. “ _Jiangjun_ ,” he addressed Yoonoh and they both retreated, descending the opposite stairs. 

the King's voice calling for Taeyong made Kun turn his attention to them, Taeyong professed a refined reverence, leaning one shoulder more than the other so that he looked lopsided, to prevent loose parts of his hair from reaching his face with the angle.

“how is your father? i haven't seen him today.”

Taeyong nodded by way of confirmation and clarified: “he must be on his way, he came from the mountains, the rest of us have gone ahead to appreciate the dance.”

Junmyeon made a satisfied sound, whether genuine or not could not be noticed on his still young-looking, gentle face. “how did my son do it?” Kun lowered his head a little, as they used to when he was the centre of attention in an argument that took place right under his nose. 

“wonderfully,” he hastened to flatter, sending a fleeting glance at the Prince. “everything that His Highness does is always worthy of admiration.”

his words gave Kun a slight blush that could not have been noticed above the layers of makeup that protected him, but his face felt hot, for what else could he do with such a comment coming from one of the best and most attractive warriors of the kingdom? Kun did not feel, until now, any kind of attraction towards anyone, but that did not mean that he did not know how to admit when someone looked good.

Junmyeon saying, “i see you like my son enough,” he distracted the attention of any present person enough, away from his face. 

“of course, who would not feel blessed by his beauty?”

Kun fought against the throat clearing that he wanted to let out before the discomfort he felt rising up his throat, his father knew it, how much it bothered him to be the subject of personal relationship issues, especially because of the impotence that nestled in his chest because he could not say much, because he and Junmyeon could be a small family of monarchs different from the rest, but that did not remove the fact that they had to follow certain protocols. still, Junmyeon was quite gentle with him and hardly ever sent him to spend time with potential suitors, or he at least limited his comments, sometimes. 

“of course,” Junmyeon replied. he turned his head to see Kun again. “come on, Prince, people are waiting for you.”

“may i accompany His Highness for a few minutes, Your Majesty?” Taeyong asked, using the perfect tone of voice, not overly flattering, finding it tolerable and even pleasant.

the King moved his eyes, without moving his face, to place them on Kun, questioning but calm, looking for some rejection, but Kun did not show him any, because he was not rude at all and even if he wanted to flee from Taeyong, he would not do it; but that was not the case, the presence of the soldier did not seem bothersome and spending a little time with someone other than his closest circle was sometimes necessary. Junmyeon saw Kun's acceptance. “sure, you can do it. report with your father in the main hall as soon as he arrives.”

“yes, Your Majesty,” he lowered his head and Kun followed.

they turned around and got off the kiosk, Taeyong stepped aside to allow Kun to get off first until he reached where Yukhei and Jungwoo were waiting. they immediately arranged in order to walk to the entrance. there were many guards lining up, with their hands on the hilts of their swords, because you never knew when a citizen might try something risky and protection for the royals was never enough, although the people knew their Crown Prince (because that was what what Kun was, in the end), despite Kun not coming out of the palace way too much, his appearance and presence were hard to forget, his aroma was gentle and it was different from other omegas because it was not sweet like the average, but fresh, something resembling the water of a river, a cool breeze or the smell of the first snow; it was not so attractive to the palate, as anyone would expect from an omega, but water was essential to life, reason enough for Kun to attract people, providing a comfort that was often involuntary. it was useful to him, way too useful, because that gave him a validity that worked to appease King Junmyeon's concerns, because in the end his main objective was to continue with his line of succession, which went against what was marked by their traditions. he himself was a beta and did not have an alpha heir, but Kun had acceptance and admiration, so working towards his goals seemed to paint well and would pay off.

the problem came when choosing a husband. Kun knew that if his father's plan were carried out, he would be the King regardless of his status and his partner would only be a consort, which was highly coveted, but it was never enough, the human race was ambitious and Kun feared that putting someone in that role will end up rotting their soul and with it, the crown. That was what kept Kun most reluctant to start looking for the ideal partner, that and the fatigue that came after years of receiving hundreds of people, men and women, carrying jewels and delicacies, saying the right words that he refused to hear. for not getting cloying.

“what were they doing in the mountains?” Kun asked to interrupt the brief silence that had formed. 

Taeyong finished taking a step exactly in front of his left foot in a dubious eagerness, as if he was playing at not stepping on the floor lines in his mind. Kun's mouth unconsciously stretched into a very small smile. “protocol patrol, in these times the borders are closed and we must make sure that there is nothing out of the ordinary."

Kun knew it, Taeyong was the son of his father's war general, so his position was quite valuable and also ideal for Kun to consider him a good candidate to become his husband, the possibility he didn't dare to turn down.

“sure,” he nodded. “how is the new training going?”

“pretty good,” his tone of voice sounded more satisfied than the one Kun had heard from his father, the General, on other occasions, “the technique is yet to be polished, but there is no rush.”

they both stopped in their tracks when they approached the table, stopping under the ceiling of the corridor supported by red pillars.

“what about you? are there any activities that have been entertaining you recently?”

Kun turned gracefully around and lifted her chin to look Taeyong in the eye as designed by a precise artistic hand. answered. “archery, but i wanted to learn to use the sword,” the archery was mostly because of the recent event, because of the series of demonstrations that would be taking place the next day in the back gardens, but Kun, following his non-traditional existence, he longed to learn to handle weapons, for entertainment, more than anything. “however, i am not sure if it is allowed.”

“i'm sure it is,” said the soldier. “with the correct security protocol and proper guidance,” they both looked away from each other as Donghyuck approached again carrying the blue umbrella, a sign that they should part soon. “why don't you tell the King about it? our King is a marvel and he will surely give his permission, if so, i can gladly teach you.”

the young prince smiled beautifully, both his dimples peeking out curiously.

“i appreciate it, _wei_ ,” he bowed his head in appreciation and then straightened.

“Your Highness...” Donghyuck approached.

“yes,” Kun told him, knowing what he meant. “i must say goodbye, Taeyong, but it was nice to see you and yes, i will consider your offer.”

he received a bow and then he watched him turn and leave, his place slowly being replaced by Donghyuck, smaller in size and less serious than the soldier. his friend said nothing, just stared at him, as if waiting for a greeting. 

“what?” Kun mused. 

Donghyuck rocked his body like a mischievous kid. “you listened to Ten,” he said, wary despite his expression. “you didn't send him away, do you like him?”

he snorted, because it was the most appropriate reaction, but he did it at a low volume so as not to be heard, the laugh that he released later to accompany the amusement was the one that was heard louder, harmonious and melodious, the townspeople began to move their heads searching for the source of the sound, only to meet the imperial and delicate image of the Prince with his omega for company. 

“he's tolerable,” he corrected, closing his eyes in know-it-all eagerness. the table with some food was already laid out waiting for him, he turned his body first to begin to approach, leaving his face pointing towards Donghyuck to finish speaking. “and he's handsome, but he's not someone to move my heart, Donghyuck,” he took two steps forward and continued speaking. “the day someone steals my breath it will be in the most peaceful way possible and i may not see it in the first instance, but i know it will be...” when he finished saying that word, he turned his head and extended his hands to take one of the many _zongzi_ and offer it to anyone close to him, but when he looked straight ahead, he found the well-defined philtrum that he had come to associate as characteristic of Youngho on the only two occasions he had seen it. “...marvelous.”

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow and wrinkled his nose when he heard the rambling and the change in volume and confidence in Kun's tone of voice.

“Your Royal Highness,” Youngho said and Kun felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise at the possibility of him mentioning that they had met before, if so, he had to think fast to justify it later, but it all slipped from his mind when the young man he hardly knew, better groomed than on other occasions, spoke calmly. “it is an honour to meet you and see you in person.”

Kun felt a gust of air leave his lungs, more from the pretty flash of light that illuminated Youngho's eyes than from relief, but he tricked his mind downplaying it. He smiled better. "The pleasure is mine, do you enjoy the celebration?”

Youngho nodded, dancing an unruly lock of hair. “just as i imagined it,” he said and looked down at the zongzi and _jiaozi_ on trays. “could i have a couple of those? my mother comes with me, but she has stayed behind.”

“yes,” Kun nodded, rushing to grab a couple of each appetiser to deposit in Youngho's big palms, it was he, after all, who had given Kun some bread, even knowing that it was probably not easy for them to get plenty of food on a daily and his mother had prepared those simple and humble delicacies, sure a couple of extra zongzi would be the least he could offer. “please take them and feel free to visit us again at the next opportunity.”

maybe he shouldn't have said it the way he did, but what was done was done and Youngho's youthful smile, hopeful and sincere, would have been enough to move an entire kingdom, and even more so the Prince of such kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this turned out to be longer than expected, butvits still some sort of intro so ig it was bound to happen


	5. Chapter 5

ever since Kun was little, he had been raised to always be the best version of himself in every aspect possible, from the simple way he stood to the way he should behave in front of the faces of the council. the reason was very simple, his father was a beta, son of a long line of royal pure blood, but with a claim to the throne not very marked, whose family lived in the east of the country, in the driest lands of the nation, which managed to provide food even when it seemed they didn't. since Junmyeon was a beta, it was difficult for him to bear pups, but it had been by the vision of a good astronomer that confirmed he would have the possibility of getting pregnant, that was how they arranged everything for their marriage and how Kun was born later.

the now King Junmyeon had always been an exemplary Prince, skilled in the use of his weapons, but delicate in his way of walking; quite the opposite of his late husband, an alpha of great stature and aggressive in his way of moving, though always remaining a fair monarch. 

Kun had been the only child of their marriage, since Junmyeon had not been able to produce more heirs, so Kun had fallen under a spotlight of attentive and aggressive stares, with the pressure of putting one foot right in front of the other when walking, never having not a hair out of place, his fingers should be wrapped in the most appropriate way around the silverware when eating, he should not express excessively when the council met in the throne room, but he should keep a straight, analytical thought, maintaining a balance between his real status and what the one that was necessary. it became suffocating the longer his life went by.

people hoped that he was just an omega, like so many others before him, but they hoped that he would seek a husband as soon as possible without ruining the offspring, an omega who knew how to make decisions without speaking, who would lead the nation without sitting on the throne. Kun many times did not know where to go. that is why his most frequent escape was to leave the castle very early, before dawn, or well into dusk. during the last days, however, he had not been able to go out as he would have liked, because the court was still full of guests who had arrived for the celebration almost a week ago, he then limited himself to taking walks through its gardens, not in solitude as he wanted, most of the time with Donghyuck or Yukhei closely following him, perhaps with Ten when he was not chatting or doing various activities with Sicheng. other times Taeyong joined him and there was no way to reject him, first because he was, in fact, excellent company, telling him about the difficulties that sometimes they had in life out there, “not that i want to scare you,” he had said once, “but it is good that you know, if it is you that the throne awaits.” furthermore, Kun had spoken to Junmyeon to ask permission to learn to use the sword.

“i don't see why not,” he had replied. “not many will take it in the best way, but we have been doing things differently here and it is something that they must learn to accept, in the same way that they have accepted me as their ruler.”

he was right, Kun knew it, just as he knew it would not be easy at all, but it was the stares of some courtiers, priests, soldiers, that seemed the most difficult to bear. the training, on the other hand, Kun would not dare to say that it was easy, but it was more bearable, too entertaining and above all satisfactory, it took a certain weight off his shoulders at least for the moment, although later that load returned multiplied and manifested in different ways. he had to be careful in any case, because he had permission but his rules of etiquette prevailed, such as the type of clothes he had to wear, subtly substituted by Donghyuck, who was in charge of choosing the most appropriate _ku_ , worrying about combining them in the same way he would normally do. with his normal skirts, gray and blue colours for winter were what he used the most, but the red or the brown helped him to hide any possible dirt stain that might remain on his clothes after practising. it might even be considered an art, at this point, the way Kun managed to wear his training clothes in an unbeatable way, keeping his hairstyles well held by a _shū bì_ with precious stones and returning to his bedroom without a single piece of his clothing out of place.

on the fifth day after the pre-winter celebration, as the cold was already beginning to feel through the fabric of his hanfus, Ten came running to his side, his hair bouncing gracefully around his face and over his shoulders, wearing orange robes, of an almost golden colour that he himself had said should not be used in winter, and he had a big smile on his face. Kun felt the aura of a child's happiness hit him with the arrival of his cousin.

“Kun!” he called him as soon as he arrived, and the joy he radiated was so great that Kun couldn't be bothered by how informal and direct his name had sounded in his voice.

“what's going on?” he had been looking at the lake's waters, covered in areas with lotus flowers, the wind was blowing delicately, he could hardly feel it on his bare skin, but it had been enough to drag a sweet scent up his nose. he straightened to look at Ten. “you smell delicious, something good must have happened.”

Ten nodded. “well, Sicheng told me that he plans to ask your father for permission to ask for my hand, isn't that great?”

Kun nodded in almost the same way that Ten had seconds earlier, feeling an emotion wash over him as if it were his own love life they were talking about. contrary to him, Ten had the possibility of marrying people of different titles, that Sicheng had been a Prince had been mere chance, really, perhaps a blessing to which Kun still could not put a name or a place. Kun, meanwhile, was expected to bind his bond with someone of equal or nearly equal rank as his own, although over time his range of options had expanded somewhat. since Kun, supposedly, was meant to rule without ruling (let me roll my eyes for him), some had concluded that a young warrior might be an excellent choice, with knowledge of the people, political connections and good control of the militias.

it was an illusion, really, the one that Kun lived through Ten. 

“yes it is,” he agreed. “i have no doubt that my father will say yes.”

“could you talk to him?” his cousin requested, sounding smaller than he actually was, fearful almost. “just in case he could not access.”

Kun smiled at him. “of course i can,” there was no way Kun could not put his hands in the fire for those he loved. “his meeting must be ending right now, do you mind joining me for the remaining time? i'll go talk to him as soon as he's done.”

Ten agreed, clearly, and the next few minutes passed as fast as lightning. by noon, Kun was entering the room that served as an office, with Junmyeon sitting in the centre and almost at the back, in front of one of those tables full of gold details, with pen in hand and an unrolled scroll.

the guard in the hall closed the door after Kun had been inside and only then did he go even further into the office until he could kneel in front of the King.

“what brings you here, son?” Junmyeon asked, putting his pen and ink aside to give him his full attention, because that was something that he always did and that Kun had learned from him, to give his unconditional attention to anyone who came to ask for a word with him.

“it's Ten, father.” he said and took a pause to lower the fluffy folds that formed in the fabric of his dress as he sat down. “he has expressed his interest in the fourth Prince of the North, Sicheng.”

“hmm,” the King mused sympathetically. “i figured it out, they've been seen together quite often lately.”

“yes. i don't see a major problem in that union, do you?”

Junmyeon shook his head and raised his elbows on the table, something that could have been considered rude. “no,” he said, “not at all. but there are protocols to follow and Ten is an omega very close to our crib, he is treated like my own son and that is why we must choose, from a line of suitors, even if in the end Sicheng is the one.”

Kun arched an eyebrow, the one with a beauty mark just below it, strategically positioned by the Creator. “are you saying that we do an event to end up choosing the fourth Prince?” that's how it sounded, at least. “wouldn't it be better to just discuss it and organise the wedding?”

“oh no,” his father shook his head. “i feel something big coming, who knows if good or bad. i should very well enjoy the entertainment while i can, don't you think?”

at the words he felt a stream of _something_ run down his back, not anxiety but not fear, just a tingle at whatever might come.

Kun snorted. “is it necessary that we obtain the acceptance of all the people?” he dragged the syllables as if making a tantrum that was not really one. “i want Ten to be happy, to be able to choose and i'm sure the only thing that is needed is the approval of his father and yours,” _because i may never be able to have it, let me grant the wish to someone else._

Junmyeon sighed and pursed his lips. “he wants your approval, son, more than Baekhyun's or mine. i'm sure you've already given it to him, so just help us —help him— to do everything the right way, trust me, it's just by regulation, we can't let Ten give a bad impression. you will organise everything, and thus no one will interfere with what was planned.”

Kun looked down and sighed. “but you're sure that we will choose Sicheng for him even if people say otherwise, right?”

“very sure. the event is just to put up a show,” he leaned across the table, just a little, so he could reach out and take Kun's hand. “what would become of us if we don't look after our people, huh?”


	6. Chapter 6

organising imperial events had always seemed like the most fun to Kun, despite the endless activities he had to plan, the large groups of people he had to lead and all the things he had to manage, but it was fun and he couldn't even bother, although he could feel stress invading his body from time to time. 

now, for example, Kun could only feel happy and laugh at the way Donghyuck followed him around, returning each time with a new concern.

“but, Your Highness,” he said, burying the brush in his hairstyle to free his hand and lift his petticoats while with his left hand he held the bamboo board with the sheet on which he wrote the orders. “i need you to tell me what dishes are going to be prepared, because you told me _whatever you want_ , but there is none of that.”

Kun laughed out loud, not high-pitched, but not deep either, just melodious and thus, he turned around to reply. “the event will last only one day or so, and it will be after all the physical tests that are going to be carried out, make sure you stock up on good meats.”

“ah, yeah," Donghyuck nodded. “but _meat_ is a very long term, i just want to know if we are going to focus on golden eyes or shark fin soup and how many pieces of egg should we order for the egg tart.”

“alright, take note,” Kun turned around to lean his lower back on the railing of the hall they were standing on. “we are talking about at least one hundred and fifty people, it won't be too many because it's a closed-door party. egg tarts, two per person, Dongyoung and Renjun will be in charge of specifying the exact quantity. oysters, shrimp, mussels, squid, coral, sea cucumber and algae, as for seafood,” he used his fingers to list some of the many things he mentioned from time to time and paused for just a couple of seconds to allow Donghyuck to finish the couple of letters he was missing. Kun considered it a blessing that Donghyuck could read and write, his rank was not very high, but it was enough to be considered part of the court and the King approved that everyone who approached Kun and even Ten knew the basics. “poultry, you know the king's favorite: guinea fowl, chickens, turkey, chicken, peacock, including partridges and edible nests. and lastly, Ten likes beef tenderloin, noodles, clearly,” he said in a tone of voice as if to emphasise the obvious and looked up at the sky to try to remember if there was anything he was missing. “don't forget bamboo and some roots. for the deer, the salmon and the swans don't worry, the suitors will get them for us as part of their tests.”

Donghyuck shook his hand when he finished. “uff,” he complained. “i better not have asked.”

“fruits and vegetables are still missing-”

“ _no_ ,” the younger exclaimed. “i'll trust Renjun just this once,” Kun smirked at him, in that eagerness that made him look not so cute and more mature. “but i imagine you want to include something along the lines of berries, pomegranates, cantaloupe, peaches… got it.”

“i'll receive them at the entrance, we just have to make sure they arrive no later than tomorrow.”

“you will have to pay them extra, Your Highness,” he said, putting the brush back in his hairstyle.

Kun confirmed. “of course, tomorrow i shall sit down with the suppliers to agree on what they bring.”

“is there anything else we need?”

“no,” he shook his head, the clasps on his head bobbing with the movement and with the scenery of his residence behind him, Kun looked more than radiant on that particular day. even Donghyuck had told him in the morning, when they had barely woken up and the sun had risen to get as many things done as far as possible. _i_ _t is not fair that getting up so early only makes you look better_ , without titles, because when it was just the two of them Kun said it was unnecessary. “i just have to receive the food that the townspeople will bring and take a tour of the kitchens. tomorrow we receive the rest of the food and the day after tomorrow we start with the decorations. ”

the little tan omega sighed. “saturday looks much closer than i expected.”

“i completely agree.”

Junmyeon had assigned him the task of preparing the party to find the _most suitable suitor for young Princes and Princesses_ , words of the council, not his. the celebration was something that had always been carried out, mainly seeking the approval of the King because any type of royal union with Princes or Princesses, regardless of how close they were to the crown, was well valued for future interests, so they accepted also the opinions of the sacred cult and the members of the council. that was something Kun wanted to avoid when betrothing Ten, because he knew very well that the possibility of some other character that could become more attractive to the interests of the people could be presented. Kun was sick of the idea that he, most likely, would never be able to have a life of his own, he had not really had it until now, there were certain things that he had fought for and some others that had been authorised to him only. _t_ _hat's the price to pay,_ Kun supposed, _when you have everything, only one life to live is missing._

over time, our omega Prince had learned to accept it, he did not live a renegade, because Kun was not like that, he loved life, even the one that he lacked, but that did not prevent him from dreaming, dreaming of being normal no matter what problems he might find out there and what little he could do he dedicated to Ten. 

he had already organised royal banquets before, the first one he had had was the one that received the spring, recognised as the most important festival of his civilization, when Kun had reached the age of majority, it had been a tremendous pressure at that time, because he still considered himself a pup, but no one listened to him and they only gave him the guidelines and provided Joohyun as a guide and based on his knowledge and in previous years Kun managed to organise his first event. it had turned out wonderfully and Kun gained quite a good reputation which added to the good image the town had of their Crown Prince. now it came almost naturally to him, he already knew what dishes to prepare, where to order utensils from, he had obtained at least thirty different types of tableware that he alternated throughout the year, so that he did not repeat any and always selected the most suitable according to the occasion. he had also fitted into his team well, which was also critical by the time he came to power, his father's people, like Kyungsoo in the kitchen, would still be around, but it would be now Dongyoung, most likely, who would be at the head, were Kun the ruler.

after having sent Donghyuck to leave the list in the kitchen to start discussing the details with Renjun, Kun headed for the palace entrance with Yukhei closely following behind. his guard sometimes did not speak much and not necessarily because he was shy, Yukhei was far from being shy, but because sometimes his mind went too far. he had a complex mind but a funny personality.

arriving at the main atrium, Kun spoke to Yukhei. “what did you dream of today, Yukhei?”

Kun couldn't see it, but it was very easy for him to picture Yukhei walking upright, in his uniform while holding the tip of his sword in his hand, always ready to jump into action if needed.

“i do not think it is appropriate for me to share, Your Highness,” his thick voice replied.

“and why is that, _sima_ ?”

“because i dreamed of someone other than myself.”

“ah, but isn't that how dreams work?” he placed both hands in front of his lower abdomen, in the position that allowed him to look tall, refined and of high rank, the one that Joohyun had spent long days correcting until no one got to execute it better than Kun. "you dream about what you see, and that, more often than not, includes other people.”

Yukhei accelerated his pace very little, just to be able to respond more comfortably. “you are right, but it is the intention, you see, that is inappropriate.”

“ah!” exclaimed the young Prince. “say no more, i know who you are talking about.”

the royal guard might have been red to his ears, but he was professional despite his youth, and then he knew very well to maintain his composure. he did not respond because they _reached_ the gates, already open and well guarded by a series of guards under Yoonoh's command and many others under Yukhei's. what he had to do was simple, just receive the series of good villagers who carried some products with them for the celebration that would take place on saturday.

not many people were queuing outside, but it still took Kun a good part of his afternoon to greet them all with sweet words, not excessively honeyed, and most importantly, he received them with honest words. Kun did not know what life was like in the town, for the common people, but he was dying to know, the movement that he could see and that he could seldom appreciate in the vicinity of the palace seemed harmonious to him, like something he would like to capture in a painting if he possessed the same precise and delicate hand as his cousin. he imagined that it was difficult to survive with so little and that only increased his respect and admiration for the working people, who might not have much, but in the same way they had the heart to approach the crown to give away a little of the food produced, harvested or obtained with their own hands. Youngho had told him that the second and last time they had met in the forest and Kun remembers it inspiring, perhaps because of the way Youngho managed to wear his worn-out clothes as well as possible, portraying honestly what life was like for him, mentioning his mother as he would mention a god himself, showing his scratchy hands with pride, raising his status high.

 _ah_ , he imagined a sigh. _w_ _hen will i be able to see him again?_

a lot sooner than expected, apparently.

Kun had finished writing the name of the last man he had received and his contribution, _Yáng: eel._ He removed the wick of the brush from the blade and looked straight ahead, mr. Yáng was moving away to his right, marching into the palace to deposit his box with his own hands, he was escorted by a guard, of course. glancing forward, long hair, hastily tied back, somewhat disheveled but still harmonious, broke into his vision and Kun blinked rapidly to focus on the sharp features of Youngho's face. this time he wore a hanfu more blue than gray and the colour, although it looked faded, managed to be vivid and it suited his skin tone, not as white as Kun's, but not caramel as Yukhei's skin was, for example. 

he was supposed to receive whatever he was carrying, so Kun hurriedly looked down to hide his smile at the slight relief he felt at seeing his - perhaps - friend or little relief and place of escape. 

“good afternoon,” Kun greeted. “what is your name?”

it sounded strange to him to ask because he already knew, but to the guard next to him who could read what he wrote and hear what he said, Kun did not know Youngho.

“i am Suh Youngho, Your Highness,” his hands were busy, but still lowered his head in the best bow he could do. Kun responded with a similar gesture, to let him understand that he had recognised his words.

“and what do you bring there?” He pointed out.

“sure,” Youngho lifted the box making it look very easy, as if the load weighed nothing. _h_ _ow many abilities and opportunities were there hidden in his being?_ “it's tofu, Your Highness. my mother and i hope it will be of use to you for Prince Ten's engagement party.”

Kun smiled. Youngho sounded genuine, Kun had come to associate it with the mention of his mother, maybe that's why everything he said to Kun seemed the right thing. he attributed it to that and not to his strange thoughts because it sounded confusing to him and he did not really plan to understand it, but to receive it and accept it.

“but of course they will be,” he showed his white teeth. he didn't realise that his hand alone came to rest on the rough, poorly sanded wood of the box containing the tofu until he felt it. likewise, he did not move away as he should have done, he stretched his neck better, long and thin to see that behind Youngho's figure there was no one anymore. “you are welcome, you can come in.”

it was not that Kun had wanted to enter next to him, or that is what he had to imply, very subtly he waited for Youngho to start walking and since he was the last one and a whole entourage of guards would be entering the palace as well, none of them hurried to walk beside him, so Kun was completely free to take a couple of long but graceful strides, they didn't look rushed at all. 

“the kitchens are this way,” he said, a well-used excuse to address him. Kun stopped his step, waiting for Youngho to also stop his to follow him, because no one else had shown him the way.

as if summoned, a soldier trotted over to offer his service. “i'm sorry, Your Highness," he bowed. “i will guide the young-”

“no need,” Kun cut him off, making up for the rudeness with a slight gesture and a smile. “i must go to the kitchen myself, he can follow me.”

the young guard said no more and only withdrew, not before executing another slight bow of respect. thus, Kun resumed his stride, head high and gait measured, with Youngho following closely behind. 

“how brave of you,” he spoke softly over his shoulder, “to introduce yourself here twice already.”

the first, almost a couple of weeks ago, when Kun had been handing out snacks and Youngho showed up, gifting Kun brief seconds of his presence and stealing seconds of Kun's incomparable beauty instead. 

Kun couldn't say it had been wrong at all. it had simply been risky in the sense that they might seem more familiar than they should be, not that it was too much, after all, a couple of words exchanged in the woods didn't define them as friends. but it could be the atmosphere that surrounded them every time they were together, the one that could rather give them away, more comfortable and closer than it really was. strange, that would be the way to define it, at least for Kun, because in no way would he have dared to return to a stranger that he had barely met in a dark forest, it was against every safety rule that they could ever have dictated. but Kun was a people man, he rarely mistrusted people, always choosing to see the best attributes in them. even so, sheer common sense should dictate that he not return to Youngho, only that his common sense never did.

he felt a tranquility, to some extent, alien, that he had not had the pleasure of feeling before. maybe it was Youngho, his persona, i mean, happy with life, grateful, calm, enjoying everything he had, much or little. those things are felt, Kun is sure, when a person is happy, disinterested, radiant. Kun thought that maybe he didn't need to leave his royal life to find the feeling that he had longed for all his life. it was enough to have a person like Youngho around to make everything infinitely more tolerable.

“should i not have?” Youngho asked, still in a low voice, even though they were away from another presence.

Kun would have shook his hands to deny his question, but it couldn't seem obvious that he was having a conversation with a commoner, _by the goddess!_ he could almost hear Joohyun, _don't cross words with anyone outside of this palace_. but Youngho was inside, Kun would have replied.

“i wouldn't dare to say that, so i will tell you the short and quick truth: it has been wonderful to meet you here and i would like to run into you more times in the future.”

they turned around a corner almost to the end and that was where all the boxes had been deposited, Kun indicated it with his hand and Youngho was finally able to lower the load that seemed heavy, but about which he did not complain at any time. turning and towring at least a head above Kun, he spoke. “so be it then, my Prince.” Kun felt his cheeks hot as a blush spread across his face. “i'll see you around, may you have a nice evening.”

Youngho bowed, not cleanly like everyone else did, but very in his own way, brusque and still graceful. Kun didn't have time to reply, a bold move since Kun was _the_ Prince, but Kun _loved_ the detail.


	7. Chapter 7

the next day the fresh food arrived from the merchants and Kun had to spend the whole morning and a good part of the afternoon receiving everything with Renjun and Donghyuck at the entrance of the kitchen while Dongyoung was in charge of doing the movements inside. he also had to spend a couple of hours in one of his father's offices, with Yukhei this time standing guard at the door. they all were noblemen of older age, with not very bushy mustaches and beards closing their mouths. he offered them a good amount of money for all the inconvenience, after reviewing the exact amounts he had received, but they preferred to ask for a direct ticket to the event that Kun could not deny them, although in his interior he rolled his eyes and made a face caused by his very intense dislike towards gossip and the use to climb or get what they wanted. it wasn't that he could really complain anyway, that was how royalty worked and Kun was a part of it whether he wanted to or not.

he left at dusk, the perfect time to go out and spend some fun in solitude (alone with Youngho if he was to meet him), but it was when Ten arrived crossing the bridge to his residence, place where he was staying, very close to Kun's cabin, but he did not go straight to his bedroom, he turned aside to meet Kun instead. 

“cousin,” he said, his eyes shining in the moonlight and stars. his hairstyle made him look taller than Kun. 

“Tennie,” he replied in a tired tone that he couldn't quite grasp himself.

“are you okay?”

the question puzzled him and even more so when Ten leaned in, bringing his face terribly close to Kun's.

“what do you mean?”

“you have dark circles,” Ten indicated finally returning to his place. 

“ah,” he understood. “it's just that i've been waking up early, but nothing a little makeup can't fix.”

Ten lowered his head and smiled sideways, pursing his lips, a gesture that seemed almost guilty. “i'm sorry,” he whispered in what sounded downcast, even though his face looked almost impassive. “you should let me take care of the decorations tomorrow-”

“no way!” Kun saw where what Ten wanted to express was going and that's why he was quick to interrupt him. “how are you going to organise your own engagement party? come on, it's only tomorrow and everything will be ready.”

Ten sighed and dropped his head to the side, in an air that made him look like a mom about to scold her son. “okay, but then go to your bedroom now, no going out, because i can be the one who is going to celebrate, but you are still our Prince and you cannot have a single imperfection on your face.”

Kun rolled his eyes in exasperation. “by the gods, you sound worse than Joohyun and Donghyuck together.”

“i was also educated by her, if i act like her it was to be expected, thank you very much,” he responded as offended but funny at the same time. “but i'm serious Kun, go and rest now. take a bath or something.”

Kun did it and not because he was planning it, but because Donghyuck was already waiting for him to guide him to the bathroom at the end of the hall that was waiting for him with the already hot and scented water. he showered and Donghyuck wrapped him in his soft white nightgown made of silk; he braided his hair so that the next day it would wake up slightly curly, and thus he enjoyed a good dreamless sleep.

the entire course of friday morning was devoted to indicating and supervising the way in which the tables were to be arranged and what dishes were to be used, he changed his mind at least three times about where the lanterns would hang and he could not make their colours match the tables. 

Jungwoo also required his presence to coordinate the clothes that Ten was going to wear, two sets, because for the morning and part of the afternoon it should be something rather informal, suitable for walking in the field and riding horses, since everyone would go to the different locations where the suitors would compete in four different disciplines to prove themselves suitable for the second omega Prince of the capital, even if in the end they ended up choosing Prince Sicheng. Kun secretly prayed that Sicheng really was an ace so he didn't have to choose based on preference. the second outfit that Ten was going to wear had to be completely formal for the evening and the rest of the night. Kun did not want it to be the same colour as the decoration but he did want it to maintain a certain harmony and combination to indicate that he was the main theme, but he couldn't choose something similar to what he himself was going to wear either, so they had to talk to Joohyun as well, who coordinated almost all the outfits that Kun wore. so they decided that Ten would wear a white dress with touches of gold to show his purity, while Kun would wear a cherry blossom pink one.

Kun did end up sporting dark circles under his eyes, but it was fortunate that his skin was so white, because they looked more pink or violet than dark and with a little of the magic that Donghyuck did with his hands, the dark circles were eliminated, or rather blurred with eyeshadow the same shade, and Kun looked imperial even in his pair of laurel green ku.

they left the residence early, the sun had not even risen when a whole retinue of guards, servants, priests, lords and suitors lined up at the side entrance, the one they called the Golden Arch. Kun, Ten, Donghyuck and Jungwoo were transported inside a rather striking red carriage, while the King and Prince Baekhyun were transported in a brown one. guards and lords and the rest of the royal or high-ranking people were on horseback and a few on foot. 

the place they were going to was not far away at all, thirty minutes away perhaps, because it was vitally important to complete all the physical tests as soon as possible, to return to the palace, take a couple of hours to fix their appearance and attend to the banquet in the evening. 

Donghyuck was looking out the window with the gentle wind blowing the few hairs that refused to remain in his hairstyle, decorated with flowers just like Jungwoo's, the only ornament they could use. “i think everything has worked out well so far,” he said, leaning back. Ten snorted and Kun frowned at him.

“it hasn't even started, how could something have gone wrong?” Kun said.

“oh, you see,” Donghyuck sat upright, in that way he prepared himself when he was going to spit out redundant facts that made it impossible for him to be mocked. “there are many things in fact, Your Highness, that could have gone wrong thus far. your clothes, for example, that some carriage was in bad condition, or some suitor who had not shown up, a last-minute call for our fourth Prince to return to his lands, our poorly organised people…” he took time to look around at everyone. “as you will see, there are many things.”

“Kun organises it,” Ten chimed in. “i highly doubt that with his obsession to have everything perfect, something could have gone wrong.”

a wave of satisfaction ran through Kun, at least so far his commitment to make his younger cousin happy was going pretty well. he turned his head so that he could see out the window without having to bend down as Donghyuck had done previously and he caught a glimpse of the line of people who followed them: some guards surrounding them, other servants walking at a little hurried pace, some empty-handed with only their presence, and others pulling carts in which they will transport the meat obtained back to the palace. everything looked normal, satisfying, but normal. until Kun saw a head taller than the rest. he immediately straightened up, leaning his body very very slightly forward in interest, the movement was perceived as abrupt, although it had not been, it was perhaps because of the suddenness of it or because Kun rarely moved like that.

“are you okay?” Ten questioned, pulling his back away from the backrest as if to try to get closer to him.

Kun turned to him, holding his breath a little, which visibly tensed the tendons in his neck. he nodded. “yes, i'm fine,” to look a little more natural he turned his head again and pointed his chin at the window. “i only managed to see a young man stumble.”

Ten leaned over and looked outside. “that tall man over there?” tense, Kun confirmed. “how weird, i don't remember seeing him before.”

“seeing who?” Jungwoo jumped up, twisting his neck to look behind him as he and Donghyuck were turning their backs on the crowd, sitting across from Ten and Kun, respectively.

“i also want to see!” Donghyuck exclaimed. “i know everyone around here.”

the Prince hastened to extend his arms and interpose his hands to prevent their heads from poking out. “no gossip," he told them. “you know you can't stick your head out of an imperial carriage.”

they did make a complaining sound, but Kun ignored them and they eventually resumed another conversation. Kun tried, he really did, not to look out the window, but it was like a magnet that ended up dragging his gaze back to the tall figure, wearing palace robes, even though Kun knew he didn't belong there. Youngho ended up feeling Kun's dark gaze on him, or that must have been, because just as they were arriving and the carriage was starting to stop, Youngho crossed glances with him.

 _how did you get there?_ Kun wanted to ask, but couldn't and forced himself to look away when Yukhei opened the door and offered his hand to help him get out. 

it was difficult for him to pay attention to the events, because his mind kept going back to Youngho disguised as a servant, Kun would like to think that it would not be a problem, but Youngho was very tall and most of the servants were short, there was no way in which he was overlooked and it could become mortal, doomed to death if he was known as an infiltrate. he did not meet Youngho again and that was perhaps for the best, because it meant that he was far from the King and all the high ranking people around him, he would be safe, yes.

he was able to focus on the competitions despite his worry and anxiety about Youngho, perhaps it would be better if he did not run into him again and Youngho returned to the village. 

they were about eight alphas, all the same age or a little younger than him, which he was grateful for because he didn't want to see any old people around his cousin. the first test they passed was hunting, something that he could not see until each contestant returned with a deer, while the rest waited. they were based on the sex of the animal and the size to be able to choose the winner of that round and perhaps it was the gods listening and granting them what they wanted, because it was Sicheng who returned first with the largest deer, male and of long antlers, with a flawless shot in the center of the eyes, and on top of it all, Sicheng had dragged it himself, without panting and without dirtying his brown suit. they sent for someone to help him with his load and Kun clenched his hands around the seat of his chair when Youngho appeared.

“i _do_ know him,” Donghyuck said then, drawing the attention of the Princes and Jungwoo. “you talked about him in the carriage, didn't you? well, he's Minhyung's older cousin,” _Minhyung,_ the young archer that Donghyuck liked when he was little, the same one who was now his best friend, “a couple of years ago they had recruited him to work in the castle, but he refused, now they only summon him for special needs when Minhyung asks.”

Kun released the air that he did not know he had been holding, maybe he did it in his mind and that was what he hoped not to raise suspicions, but no one said anything, so maybe he succeeded.

“why did he refuse, though?” Jungwoo inquired with a frown. “there are too many people who would give anything to work in the palace, besides,” he added, “he has a very good physique, they would have promoted him quickly to any position he wanted, i bet he would make a very good soldier.”

Kun's eyes danced anxiously from Youngho to Sicheng to his friends and then to the rest of the participants already returning, but he didn't say anything and if Donghyuck had answered the question, he didn't hear him either. 

he did not pay much attention to the rest of the activities, he only knows that Sicheng won again in the archery test and that he lost the fishing test against a young man, Prince too, from the south, his name was Jeno and despite his young age, because he was younger than himself and Ten, he was an ace and a diamond for his people, although Kun knew that Junmyeon already had him in his sights for another union with Yoonoh's omega half-brother, named Jaemin. 

_“will we meet again?”_

Kun remembers asking.

_“over and over again, Your Highness.”_

Youngho had told him.

and his mind wandered to all the corners of the world created in his head, the ones where Kun had freedom, maybe not to do what he wanted, but Kun imagined himself free somehow, in one place, with one person, in another time, he didn't know. it was a dream that he had had since he was a child, when he had heard his father cry through the shōji when he ran through the corridors, _i_ _am not going to send my son to another nation_ , Junmyeon had said during those times just after the death of Kun's alpha father, _i'm not remarrying and i'm not giving up_. Kun thanks him to this day, but along with that decision, a life that was too straight, stiff and controlled had been given to him, because the role of both genders, an alpha and an omega, had fallen on him without actually doing it. Kun dreamt, ever since, dreamt of being free, but only that: _dreaming_ ; because his father, King Junmyeon, had given everything for him and Kun owed him his life and much more, he would never dare to follow any other path than the one that was destined for him.

Kun knows that the combat test passed at some point, but that one he does not remember at all, it did not matter, in the end, it would not matter who had won if the chosen one would still be Sicheng.

they returned to the palace with more noise than had accompanied them on the outward journeys, Ten did not stop laughing like an excited little girl, sighing every time his thought returned to the fourth Prince, Donghyuck and Jungwoo giggled with him and Kun only smiled at them like a satisfied or proud mother. they had to separate when they arrived at the residence for each one to go to their rooms and change their clothes. they hadn't sweated, thank goodness, so it was a hell of a lot quicker task than it would have been if they had bothered to take a bath, they couldn't take the time they didn't have, the sun was setting and people would start to gather in the royal courtyard in the next few minutes. Kun was allowed to make an appearance later than the rest, but that did not suit him much, he liked to be as punctual as possible regardless of his status, so he rushed Donghyuck to pin his hair to support the ostentatious hairstyle, adorned with a pink _fengguan_ with nine pheasants and two ornamental leaves on each side.

“isn't it too heavy?” Donghyuck asked when he finished putting it on, moving it a bit with his hands to make sure it wouldn't fall off. Kun nodded.

“a little, but bearable.” he lowered the hand mirror and put it on the table. “is everything ready?”

Donghyuck had already dressed before him, but he stopped to fix his hairstyle, putting a shū bì between his lips, ready to take it when his hands finished adjusting the braid to the top of his head. he inserted the comb with practiced ease and addressed his previously asked question at the end. “yes,” he answered. “we shall leave.”

they were the last to arrive, all of the guests were already scattered around the patio with a tent well set up on top, the musicians positioned in the corridors along the sides and the tables well arranged symmetrically at different points. in the outer courtyard, going through the golden arches, they had placed targets to practice archery as entertainment, there were also floating lamps by the lakes and in general Kun had surpassed himself and so Ten let him know by saying, “wow, i would never have expected something like that for me,” used to exuberant events they were, he was referring, rather, to the affection with which Kun had done everything. “it feels unlike any other event i've attended,” he smiled so widely that even his upturned nose wrinkled a little. “thank you my Prince.”

Kun reached out to cradle Ten's glowing face as he would a child of his own. “go and enjoy then, only then will you thank me properly.”

the air ran wild but calm, cooler than other days but still felt pleasant, it made the hanging ornaments on Kun's crown sway and collide with each other, only adding to the panorama that Kun could perceive, a little more life and a reminder at the same time that he was in the palace and not out there where he would have loved to be. he went to the lake alone, because at one point he had lost all his friends, he could see Jungwoo sharing a drink with Yukhei, because it was one of those strange times when he was not on duty, he had been covered by his brother Guanheng and the one Kun suspected was his beloved, Dejun, another beta of basically the same height as Guanheng and an excellent warrior and friend of Yukhei.

alone, Kun was then, on the bridge of the lake, daydreaming of an open field where he could be with whoever he wanted, doing what he wanted, when a gust of wind hit his face and with it a forest aroma, strong, relaxing and he didn't need to turn to know who it was, but he still did, raising his head as far as he knew right to see Youngho's face.

“Your Highness,” he greeted him, and though awkward, bowing in a better way than before. Kun let his eyes travel over his tall and slender figure, covered by more formal but ordinary green clothes, hugging his broad shoulders in the most correct way. Jungwoo was right, Youngho might as well be a warrior given his height and build, but somehow Kun couldn't find himself wishing that for Youngho, not even at seeing him dressed as palace people, Kun wouldn't expect this life for him, even if giving him this life meant being able to see him more often within his world.

“ _Youngho_ ,” he replied, finally leaving his eyes at peace and fixed on the alpha's handsome face. “you were serious, huh?” he asked, “about seeing each other again.”

“i waited for you to go back to the forest, but you didn't,” he explained. “i had to come.”

Kun gulped, his adam's apple pumped very little and even though he didn't want to tell the truth, it was inevitable. he lowered his gaze for a couple of seconds as his way of taking courage and then he raised it. “you shouldn't be here," the words left a bitter taste in his mouth as they left his lips, they could be the true ones and not be what he wanted deep down. and he did not know _why_ , Kun did not know, what about Youngho called him so much.

“do you want me to go?” he asked in response.

 _no!_ Kun would have exclaimed. 

“no,” he said calmly instead. his eyes danced from side to side on Youngho's face. “i do not want to.”

“i don't want to either,” until now they had been maintaining an impersonal distance that was shortened by Youngho until that moment by taking a step forward, Kun's eyes quickly traveled around their surroundings to confirm that there was no one looking at them, next he returned them to the young man in front of him. “but that's the thing, actually,” he kept talking with a smile peeking out. “you see, _i hate royalty_ , Your Highness,” Kun blinked exactly three times before throwing his head back. “i had been offered a job here years ago, but i refused, because this life is not for me.”

“and what is it that makes you come here then?” Kun murmured, receiving another stream of air on his forehead, his intense black hair floated around him and the scene softened Youngho's gaze, Kun noticed. 

“ _you_ ," he replied. “you running away from this place when you have _everything_ ,” Youngho shook his head in disbelief to emphasise. “and your beauty, sweet Prince, cannot be compared to anything in this world.”

Youngho wanted to get close again and Kun wanted him, he really did, to have him close like Donghyuck could get close to Yoonoh, the same way he had seen a very young omega with smiling eyes, palace worker, hug a tall alpha, just as young if not more, of very good bearing and appearance, in training, free in life, smiling at each other. but Kun couldn't and then, he stepped back. Youngho was not offended, but he blinked in puzzlement, Kun had to hasten to extend an arm with his hand made into a fist, powerless because he could not touch him, but the intention was clear and Youngho accepted it. 

“we can't be seen together,” Kun narrowed his eyes as he said it. 

“i know,” Youngho replied. “but that's not what i'm looking for, Your Highness, it's not my place.”

Kun felt a need for _something_ , he didn't know what, but then again, he didn't know anything about Youngho and it still made his heart race. he whispered hastily, “follow me.”

he quickly took a look to confirm that no one saw or followed them and walked to the right, towards the adjoining garden where there should be no one. Youngho followed closely, keeping a respectable distance, it seemed that it was only the Prince asking for help with something, in case they were seen.

they arrived at their destination, behind a wall that had an almost circular opening, very traditional in their architecture, it was dark there, so it was not necessary to hide, to stand next to a tree, barely seen under the light of the waning moon sufficed. 

“what are you up to?”

he heard Youngho sigh and his answer was just like another sigh. “i was hoping to continue working here, _lawfully_ ,” he remarked. “i hate this place, but i'm sure seeing you every day is worth everything.”

 _tie himself up_ , that was what Youngho would do for a person he barely knew. Kun didn't think it fair. 

“no," he asked. “do not do that.” there was no one else there and Kun considered it safe to approach until he placed his white hands on Youngho's chest, firm under his touch. he looked up and it seemed a shame to be in such a dark place, because he could not appreciate Youngho's features as he would have liked, but he took it and it made him feel closer to Youngho, as if he had got to know a little more of his being. “it's not worth it.”

Youngho wrapped his fingers around Kun's slim wrist, cold compared to his hand. 

“it is worth it _Kun,”_ no titles, just his name savoured and sounding like no one had ever made it sound before, hardly anyone called him by name, Kun found himself wishing that to be the only thing he heard when people spoke to him, wanting to react faster to _Kun_ and not to _Highness_. “i know so-”

if Youngho wanted to say more, he couldn't, he was interrupted by hurried steps and Donghyuck's shrill voice exclaiming _my Prince,_ before making his way through the arch in the wall, catching the image with his big eyes before anything else.

Donghyuck gasped and brought a hand to his mouth, then Youngho's name came out muffled, but it was heard. "Your Highness, what is this?”

Youngho and Kun pulled away.

“n-no,” stuttered the Prince, “it's nothing, it's not what it seems at all.”

Donghyuck shot his eyes wide at Youngho. “Youngho?” he shook his head and Donghyuck followed, mimicking the movement while closing his eyes. “you know what? there is no time.” he turned to Kun. “the King is going to announce his decision and his Highness Ten awaits us.”

Kun took the opportunity to jump even further away from Youngho, gifting him only an apologetic look that Youngho took and appreciated. forced, Kun left and Youngho stayed. he followed Donghyuck until he reached the tent where the King was waiting for them. Kun already knew the final verdict, but the smile with which Ten blessed them all was everything. 

and the figure of Youngho in the distance was even _more_.


	8. Chapter 8

they drank and danced and chatted until they couldn't anymore. Youngho at one point got lost and Kun did not see him again for the rest of the night, but he did not see Donghyuck again either, after the King announced his well-founded decision (or so he had heard, that Sicheng really had struggled and exceeded in three of the four disciplines) and then he did not have to worry about explaining what he was doing alone with a commoner. he mixed with the rest of the people for at least three hours, entertaining himself by going from here to there, talking about everything and nothing in particular, with everyone and with nobody at the same time, an art that he had learned to perfect over time, that being what was required of him: to be without being.

he stayed outside as long as possible, it would have been a shame if he retired so soon when it had taken so much effort and dedication to plan the event. he forced himself to at least etch the image in his memory, the image of the lamps hanging from the strings illuminating the entire courtyard, reflecting off the gold of the dishes that were continually being emptied and refilled with food. _Taeil_ , one of the members from the kitchen, went in and out with trays, sometimes Renjun joined him and absolutely everything was so delicious, that people kept demanding more and more, Kun was sure that he would have exploded already after consuming so much good meat. 

eventually he got tired, he was the only one to be alone, since everyone else had found someone to spend the evening with. that was one of the benefits of the imperial engagement party, when it was successful and the engaged couple felt genuinely attracted and grateful for the upcoming union, people believed that a stable upcoming royal marriage would give rise to a wave of blessings in the village. Kun would have wanted this to be as true for him as it was for others. unfortunately it didn't work out like that, not even Taeyong was there and it wasn't that Kun wanted it, he didn't crave attention just to escape his loneliness, he wasn't that petty.

Kun retired to his rooms alone, untying his hair on the way without worrying about anyone seeing him, he knew there would be no one in his residence, so he arrived in comfort, almost throwing his shoes off and massaging his sore scalp which had carried such a heavy accessory on his head and sharp clips to keep even the smallest hair in place. he also got rid of his tight hanfu, which Donghyuck had chosen adorned with a wide belt that looked more like a corset highlighting his figure. Kun felt like he was no longer breathing after long hours with it on. he folded and arranged everything on a couch so that Donghyuck would only pick it up in the morning, because Kun could be a Prince but he well knew how to do things himself, the thing was that they wouldn't let him.

his sleep was calm and this time it was not dreamless as it regularly was, Kun wasn't one to dream much, he dreamt more awake than asleep, but when a scenery did appear in his mind, painting figures and colours behind his eyelids, that he did appreciate. that night the stains came together, as chinese inks did when falling on patches of water, and they formed broad shoulders and manly hands just as rough as the real ones, the ones Kun had felt with his own, the sharp lines of his eyes were delineated as well as his lips and the color of his hair was so accurate that Kun could almost feel it without actually feeling it. he painted Youngho in his dreams and it felt good - _maybe too much_. it was strange, because, _again_ , Kun did not know him and his physique could not be enough to move that _something_ inside Kun. without fooling anyone, Youngho was quite attractive, _yes_ , but Kun always looked beyond, only this time there was not much to see. that led him to think that then he should do it, he did not know Youngho, but he could get to know him.

with this new purpose and a renewed vigor, Kun woke up when the sun had not yet risen, he would have slept if perhaps four hours and it seemed a lot to him, but he could not feel tired, he could not when an external force moved him. 

he stood up and made his bed (because, again, Kun was not useless), he rummaged through his trunks in search of suitable clothes to go out and sighed satisfied when he found his favourite set, it was not pants, but who cared? only the trees would see him, the trees and the rocks and the squirrels he loved to see running through the branches, and hopefully _Youngho,_ too. now, Kun knew how to do things on his own, that did not mean that it was easy to tie the many layers of clothing in the same way that someone else with better access and more freedom of movement would do it, but he managed to do it and his turquoise dress hugged his body, the cotton felt cool against his skin, and the matching pins on his head holding the braid crown didn't feel heavy like the night before.

when he left his bedroom, he found no one other than the cool of the coming winter. he walked confidently to the stable and pulled out his mare, secured the saddle and reins, and guided his imperial white animal to the fence, only there he found Dejun standing guard.

“Your Highness,” he greeted him looking serious with those bushy and sharp eyebrows, but Kun knew him playful too, like the rest of the young guards, that didn't mean he was playful within his working hours.

“Dejun,” Kun replied. “i'll go out for a few moments,” he reported, making a slight sign with the hand that was holding Xuě's rein. Dejun didn't question much of what he did and it could be partly due to his platonic admiration for the Prince and partly because he was newer to the guards and it didn't occur to him to question Kun's will. he made way for him then, quickly and silently, and since Kun was not yet mounted on the horse, he emerged just as quietly, entering the adjoining forest, cool and expectant. 

_where was he going?_ he had no idea. but _Fūjin_ carried him as he carried out creation with _Amaterasu_ , blowing winds that pushed Kun _somewhere_ , unfurling mist as he had originally done from his sacred sheet and, just like back then, he gave way to a source of light, not the sunbeams shining on the world for the first time, but Youngho's own light illuminating Kun as if it were the first time. 

he reached his destination in _nowhere_ at the right time _now_. 

perhaps his presence was just as strong for Youngho as Youngho's was for Kun, as his well-defined figure turned in its place, at the end of a part of the forest that led to a clearing without trees, but with long grasses and flowers dying before the arrival of winter. he had been looking at nothing, or so it seemed, from his place on that rock with his legs spread apart but bent so that he could rest his elbows on his knees. he was still wearing the clothes that Kun had seen him wear in the celebration, somewhat more disheveled than before as well as his hair, now escaping from the semi bun, with no further commitment to stay in place. Kun wanted to ask if he was just heading home. 

“i'm going home,” he responded to his thought, or maybe he said it out loud. “it hasn't been long since the party ended.”

Kun walked to his side, Xuě wasn't even tied to a tree, but Kun seemed to not remember or completely ignored it. since Youngho was seated, for the first time Kun had to lower his gaze to see him, not his face, since Youngho was looking straight ahead.

“i'm sorry,” he said. “for keeping you busy until so late, or… so early.”

Youngho shook his head, shaking his loose hair at the same time, after shaking his head, he turned and raised his stare to look at Kun. “it's not your fault,” he replied, distant without being the same as before. his eyes sparkled with something Kun couldn't name, it looked like a shooting star just passing by, or a flash of his soul peeking through the window of his body. there he stretched out his hand until it touched Kun's. “did i get you in trouble?”

he couldn't say yes because it hadn't happened, but he couldn't say no because it hadn't happened yet. he answered the following: “does it matter?"

“of course it does,” Youngho replied immediately. “i would like to continue seeing you, every day, as long as possible,” he caressed the smooth skin that covered Kun's knuckles, free of imperfection and Kun sighed at the touch, so simple that it could have been non-existent and only a product of his imagination, but so intimate for the little they had shared and could share. “so yeah, i care too much.”

“we will continue to see each other,” Kun assured, longing and _dreaming_. dreaming, sometimes, was good, because it could become reality. 

one day turned into two, and then two into four, and four into ten. they were always at that point in the forest, where the forest ended and the clearing began. the image rarely changed, but when it did it became a little less distant and a little more real, with their figures blending in perfectly with the landscape, they seemed to be part of nature, if not the main characters.

Donghyuck had yelled at him when Kun had returned to the palace that day, with the sun already risen. he had claimed Kun had given him the fright of his life by not having found him in his rooms or in any other part of the residence, hopefully Kun had returned before Donghyuck could upset the entire court and send two parties to look for him. “but your Highness," he exclaimed, “don't you know how dangerous it is to go out without warning?" the young omega was exaggerated and Kun already knew how to deal with it. “and on top with Youngho! tell me, what is this about?"

Kun did explain that he had no idea, but he did so with such a wide and bright smile, his eyes smiled too, and that was all it took to stop Donghyuck's accelerated chatter.

“i don't know, Hyuckie,” he had told him. “that is what i am trying to find out.” and well, Donghyuck was not the one to ban, much less when his Prince looked so radiant and sincere (for a simple commoner?). _no_. Donghyuck had no heart to question.

ten days became twenty and then twenty, a month. and the painting there at the end of the forest continued to be painted, colourful, detailed, sublime.

“you place the cord close to your eye,” Kun imitated the position he executed when practising archery, “with the feathered tail almost brushing your cheek and just let go, calmly and without ambition.” he lowered his hands, Youngho was watching him and it was just _perfect_. that's how Kun had come to feel it and there was no other term he could use when he was with Youngho. “but tell me,” he hesitated, bringing his fingers closer to play with the soft silk fabric of his sleeves, “tell me more about yourself.”

Youngho did it, he complied without question, he always did, joining his long fingers to Kun's to play with the fabric, soft as the fabric of his own clothes never was. but his hands almost never stayed in that safe place, his hands were restless, so Kun had learned, and by themselves they snaked up his arms, down Kun's slim shoulders, then his arms again and leaped to his ever adorned waist with thick belts that Youngho sometimes feared would force the air out of Kun. _don't worry_ , Kun had responded to that, _you are the one to steal my breath away_. 

_“do you mean i'm mortal to you, Your Highness?”_

Kun hummed in response that day. “i _would die satisfied if you were.”_

the Prince possessed a honeyed tongue like all royalty, but there was _something different_ about the taste that hadn't upset and chased Youngho away, the alpha knew, that's why he kept coming back again and again. it was _addictive_. and not because their bodies craved each other, in fact they hardly touched each other, for Youngho it was enough to sit next to Kun, inhaling his fresh scent like a breeze, it was enough to touch his legs through the layers of clothes that were growing thicker as winter progressed, it was enough to twist his neck to see Kun's curious button nose just being there, coexisting with the rest of his features, soft, fine, well sculpted, in the exact shade that turned beige when shaded with the branches of the trees. _it was enough_. coexisting in the same world was enough. 

Kun also did not look beyond that, beyond from time to time brushing the little finger of his hand with that of Youngho's hand, beyond being able to appreciate Youngho's tangled hair floating with the wind, to breathe the same air that he. he wasn't looking for anything, he was completely unselfish, and yet he received as much as he gave. Youngho took him to places Kun had never known, which was sad because it was his own kingdom, a place he had to know and love in order to rule and so Youngho had made him see.

“they - the Emperors - don't know what life is like out here,” he complained, though not bitterly, “and yet they believe they have the authority to rule.”

Kun did not want to deny it - _he_ _could_ _not_ deny it -, not even if it were his own people, the nature of his birth, because he knew it was completely true and perhaps that was why he could not fit in his own place. 

“show me then,” Kun told him that morning, the sun still hadn't risen and the weather was cold. “show me what it is like.”

Youngho lowered his gaze to see inside Kun's, as if looking for _something_ that could indicate anything to him, Kun did not know what he was looking for, but he decided to be honest, to open his soul so that Youngho could search for whatever he wanted. he apparently found it, because he smiled at him and took Kun's hand, small in comparison. “follow me.”

Youngho took him to his village, passing first by his house that Kun discovered was far from the rest and that was very easy to reach through the forest, following a barely marked path, made of only dirt and no grass. it was small and modest and in perfect condition if compared to some others that he saw later, Youngho's house was already made of brick and stone, somewhat worn out but resistant, most of the town still had wooden houses that broke Kun's heart.

they had stopped there for Youngho to bring out a peasant outfit that belonged to his mother. “don't worry, she doesn't use it.” Kun took it in his hands, it was not like anything he had ever worn before, it was rough and a bit hard (and if it left an irritation on his skin, that was for Donghyuck to deal with). “it will fit you, my mother is tall." Kun did not doubt it, Youngho was very tall, it was to be expected that his parents were too. in the cabin there was no sign of another strong scent besides Youngho's, Kun decided that, like himself, maybe he had no alpha father or mother.

he wore those clothes in the best way he could, which, truly, was still imperial, but Youngho removed the brooches from his head and put a hat in its place, there was no possibility that they knew that it was the Crown Prince himself.

the streets were dirt with mud puddles where the buckets of water fell and not a single one was depopulated. “we wake up before the sun rises, because Amaterasu only gives us enough goodness with her rays if we give her our commitment and hard work.”

“what do you do?" Kun asked, not because he didn't know what the economy of his own town was based on, but because he wanted to know what it entailed.

“clean the carts, prepare the instruments,” he pointed out as they walked, “arrange the baskets to go up the mountain, tie the mules to bring the load." nobody did the same activity and each one seemed to be concentrating on their own, they put their hands in the water to clean the dirt and they dried them out in the rough fabric of their pants or skirts. Kun would never in his life be allowed to get his hands dirty with anything other than pottery or paint, but it looked fun, he wanted to do it.

a couple of screams were heard in the distance, approaching little by little, they were not alarming cries, they were rather funny exclamations, of a very high register that Kun attributed to children. he heard Youngho laugh next to him. 

“others take care of the children," he said. “hey, Jisungie!"

 _Jisung_ was a small boy, with a high, refined nose and very small eyes, tousled hair, and rosy cheeks. hearing his name his eyes widened and his pace quickened. “hyung!" 

it was beautiful, absolutely everything. the air, the noises, the voices, the warmth in his chest. 

“oh,” the boy muttered in Youngho's arms. “you are very pretty, hyung,” he told Kun. “what is your name?”

Kun _smiled_. not just his face, but his _soul_. he smiled and it was lovely. he held out a hand for Jisung to wrap his little fingers around Kun's index finger. " _Kun_ ," he replied. " _m_ _y name is Kun_.”

it was like introducing himself for the first time, strange and beautiful. Kun wanted to do this for the rest of his life.

“hi, Kun,” Jisung told him, untitled, unhesitating, familiar and comfortable. everything that Kun had always wanted. “i'm Jisung. do you want to play with me?”

Youngho assured him that the clothes could get dirty, so Kun did not hesitate to accept and he ran, he ran with Jisung chasing him through the dirty streets, he sat on the ground and saw the wooden toys that the little one showed him, Kun taught him to shoot the slingshot and Jisung taught him how to make paper flowers.

he laughed, laughed like he had never laughed in his life and he created real music with his laughter, lighting up everything in his path. _illuminating Youngho_ a little more and more.

“i was not wrong,” Youngho told him at the end, after putting the clothes in the basket to be washed later, after Kun returned to wear a skin that was as much his as it was foreign. 

“what do you mean?” he turned his head to look at him, lifting his chin. Youngho took a couple of steps forward, still in the rough walls of his home, facing Kun, close, closer than they had ever been, protected by the bricks and the ignorance of the people. his large hand flew up to cup Kun's face, a terrifyingly simple gesture and so magnificently complicated. Kun cocked his head to where the warmth of the hand felt, as if chasing the touch, longing to feel it. 

“you're different,” Youngho whispered, low, in just one breath, it looked so easy, it _felt_ so easy, Kun could have closed the almost non-existent distance and merged with him, but it wasn't necessary. Youngho's gaze danced across his face, a gaze so dreamy that Kun felt close to the Tianmen. “i want you in my life.”


	9. Chapter 9

_“no, no, no,”_ Donghyuck was shaking his head furiously, his earrings were shaking with force and his nose was wrinkled in strong disapproval. Kun just let the air out of his lungs, hunching his posture slightly, defeated. “i have enough with letting you out, who knows where,” he hadn't raised his voice, but Kun still perceived it as a discreet exclamation, trying to keep the conversation between them, without seeping through the thin wooden and rice paper doors. “do you know how much it stresses me to let you out that door?” he pointed it out. 

Kun shrugged as he stroked the silk of his sheets with his hands, suddenly the bed under him seemed more interesting than the topic he was discussing. 

“Hyuck,” he murmured, so low it might not have been heard if Donghyuck wasn't paying close attention. Donghyuck raised his eyebrows. “i have done nothing wrong.” it was a sad excuse and Donghyuck dropped his shoulders. 

he shook his head again. “no, of course not, Your Highness.” whether he was agreeing with him out of compassion or because he _truly_ agreed, Kun did not know, as he did not know many other things. fortunately there were so many others to which he already had an answer or an attempted answer. 

_what was he doing out there?_

“Youngho has taught me so many things about my own people that i would never have known locked up in these walls,” he justified, his voice did not tremble. “Donghyuck, is beautiful,” he looked at him, “the world is beautiful, with all its imperfections and injustices.”

_what was Youngho to him?_

“he's been a great friend, Hyuckie, that is all. he's made me see the world through his eyes, he's helped me so much.”

_what did you want to happen?_

“and i like him, Hyuck, i like him so much, nothing seems ordinary when i'm with him. i know we can't be together, i know with my soul. but whatever little i can get to live, Donghyuck, would be enough to enlighten me for a lifetime.”

Donghyuck would never have a way of knowing what it was, because he could be with the one he longed for, Yoonoh and he did not differ so much in rank and it was simple and almost natural that they would get to be together and the omega knew it, his life was settled and he could be happy naturally. Kun, on the other hand, was happy as he had always been thanks to his immense heart, although his life was everything but his. Donghyuck had spent years watching him, since he was a pup playing with the other children of the palace staff, running through the corridors near the kitchens and in the patios, while Kun spent long hours with books on his head to achieve the perfect posture, with scrolls on his table until he memorised the smallest line of each poem, training on his horse from early in the morning; while Donghyuck could give himself the freedom to meet Minhyung in the backyards sneakily, exchanging hasty kisses and messy handjobs, Kun couldn't even stare any longer than he should on any alpha or beta, Donghyuck counted the seconds. _one, two, three, four_. four seconds was the most Kun could leave his eyes on someone else. when winter came, Kun couldn't go out to play in the snow, he grew up a little bit more and he could only put on his cape and walk around the perimetre. Donghyuck knew it sad, he would not have survived it as well as Kun did.

for that and more, despite his nerves, when Kun asked him again for his help to pack his things and go north to spend his heat in the cabin of his property, _i want to see the waterfalls before getting there_ , he begged him, _just come with me to have the best time of my life_ , he could't say no _._ it broke his heart how Kun considered something so simple the best thing that could have happened to him. “yes, your Grace,” he told him. “yes.”

so they packed everything, a pair of trunks of clothing and accessories that included extra robes of the shiniest and softest silk, they threw in a combination of qun, ku and shan of His Imperial Highness's favorite colours: cherry pink, turquoise, indigo and red, with at least fifteen yi changes, for the couple of weeks they would stay away from the capital. they loaded the carriage with four trunks in total, two from Kun, one from Donghyuck and one from Yukhei, who was supposed to go to safeguard the Omega Prince.

when Kun asked Junmyeon for permission to leave, Junmyeon did not object, he knew how heavy the days to come were for Kun, and he could not refuse a simple request. “sure, son,” he had told him. “your privacy and comfort come first.” yes, he had felt nervous, but all his life he had been educated to control his emotions and fixing his dark eyes on his father's amber eyes was not so difficult and while the King told him everything he had to consider in order to retire, Kun entertained himself by looking at the golden ornaments around the throne, covering the red of the pillars and the finishes of the high pagoda ceilings. he did not pay too much attention to him because what he said, Kun already knew by heart, he had left the castle to go to his country house a couple of times, but he had only gone to the cabin in the middle of the forest once, not that that was important, in the end he had to prepare himself in exactly the same way. “Yoonoh will accompany you.”

Kun looked away from the polychrome mural and discreetly let his eyes travel to the aforementioned guard.

“sorry?” he asked, the word thrown out of his lips could be misinterpreted. he did not dislike Yoonoh, on the contrary, he was a person with whom one could spend a very pleasant time and he did not treat him as an inferior only because of his omega status. even so, it did not seem appropriate for him to accompany Kun, since his whole plan would be ruined. “i thought i could organise myself however i wanted,” he added.

the King shifted in his chair to lean forward a little. “sure,” he raised both hands as a symbol of peace, he had probably felt some kind of attack coming from Kun. “if you already have your plans made, i'm not the one to intervene.”

behind him he heard the strong and precise footsteps that he already knew belonged to Yukhei, they were very characteristic, his strides were long and then the impact of his foot on the floor took slightly longer to be heard than that of other guards, he also walked with rhythm and he never dragged his feet. Kun heard him approach until hhe saw his figure out of the corner of his eye to his left. 

“Your Majesty, His Highness has told me about the trip this morning asking me to escort him and Donghyuck there, therefore i have already accepted, i am sorry to interfere with your orders,” he was playful, but he was also extremely formal within his work and above all with the right people. Kun watched him bow neatly, somewhat sideways, the characteristic bow of a soldier. “however, i would be very pleased to provide security to my Lord, if you will allow me.”

Junmyeon smiled just a flash that vanished as quickly as it appeared. “ah, Yukhei, i see that your loyalty to my son is unmatched,” he dropped back onto the throne, resting his back on the backrest. “it reassures me to know that he has such nice and loyal company as you and Donghyuck by his side.” Yukhei shook his head in agreement. “very well then, when will you leave?”

Kun stood up in his place and his facial expression lit up. “in the morning, father. i wish to see the waterfalls before reaching my destination,” the young Prince was not the one to lie, much less to his father, omitting Youngho on purpose would not be the most ideal and it made him feel a some remorse in his chest, but he wasn't lying and for that he was at least satisfied.

as he retired, Donghyuck and Yukhei followed him, through the overly ornate throne room, past the guards standing on some of the pillars, until they reached the exit, leaving behind the image of the King in the centre with Yoonoh to his left and another high-ranking officer, _Chanyeol_ , on the right.

they went out to the main patio illuminated by a dull light characteristic of winter in the region. they had not just descended the steps from the central part of the three-sided structure of their architecture when Yukhei was already speaking.

“that was close,” he snorted. “it has been a pleasure and honour to reach out for you as always, Your Highness, but i would like to know,” they did not stop the pace, but Kun did slow down so that he could turn to see his guard and friend without the risk of tripping, “what exactly is it that i stand for?”

Kun blinked twice and turned to Donghyuck on his left. “you told him?” he asked. it wasn't bad, it was actually pretty good for Yukhei to know, the hard part was explaining.

“sure, but not enough,” he took the time to look at both of them as well, his doll lips remained parted ready to continue letting sounds come out. “mainly because i don't know much myself, partly because it is not mine to tell.” the right thing had been done by the youngest of the three. 

they almost lined up to walk at the same level as Kun allowed them especially when they did not have to obey the imperial rules as closely, the rules dictated that the walks were always carried out by levels, the highest-ranking royal person had to go to the front and to the center, with the rest behind following a hierarchy in highly special situations, or at least maintaining a respectable distance. Kun didn't like it because he felt distant, alone in a cold world from which he, more often than not, desperately wanted to escape. that desire was overshadowed, however, when he had the opportunity, however brief, to have a loved one close by.

“i can't even understand it myself,” he admitted, but set out to try to explain it while sitting at a table on his terrace, with Guanheng covering the guard that was originally supposed to be his brother's, but there were some occasions when Kun allowed himself to get close to his _subjects_ with the intention of eliminating that term and making them more his friends or even family. thus, he pulled Yukhei to take a seat next to Donghyuck and himself with a bottle of liquor in the center and various stories, not only his, but theirs as well. 

it was beautiful to spend time like this, telling stories of the past, of their lives, of what they saw, what they wanted. everyone's concerns were different, where Donghyuck saw colours, Yukhei saw nothing and Kun saw it monochrome. nothing was the same, everything was the same. they belonged to the same world but not to the same elite. a strong contrast of ideas that did not make sense to Kun, but that _were_ nonetheless. 

time did not seem to pass when they spent their time like this, without worrying about looking a certain way or fulfilling a certain role, so it seemed that they were simple boys without hierarchical distinction, pursuing the same goal of living their life in the happiest way possible. Kun thought it was possible at times like these, when he saw Yukhei smiling so widely with that beautiful smile he had, that in return painted one of different appearance but just as bright on Kun. it was the way the skin of both his friends reflected the sun on its caramel surface, which gave him hope that maybe life could become this bright - _that it already was_ -. there was no way happiness was lacking when drunken laughter gushed from their chests. life was happy, he concluded, made up of its little details, like Donghyuck's shan lapels crossing lower than they should, or Yukhei dropping his always unbeatable posture, even Kun feeling his slightly chapped lips against his tongue. imperfect details made life perfect.

they retired to their rooms as soon as night fell, dizzy with the soft alcohol consumed in the perfect quantity to send them to sleep peacefully and they rested as they almost never did, perhaps because the morning needed them awake to go to meet a ray of happiness, a small hope that they could not fully visualise, but that was there. 

none of them required extra effort or motivation in the morning, it was natural to open their eyes and start the day. Donghyuck didn't bury any pins in Kun's scalp, Yukhei didn't forget to pass directions on to his brother, and Kun didn't take long to say goodbye to Ten. everything was going well. they left the castle with Yukhei driving the carriage, Donghyuck and Kun inside the cart with all the freedom to stick their heads to continue chatting without excluding the soldier, they followed the path that Kun indicated, going exactly the same direction that the wind took that morning and they reached the end of that section of the forest, where the glade was clear in front of them except for a tall figure standing on that edge.

“Youngho,” Kun called out on a sigh.

he turned with the call, slowly and surely, until he looked over his shoulder and absorbed them with his gaze. Kun got out of the vehicle without waiting for Yukhei to offer him his hand, he stumbled on his way down in a not so imperial way and Donghyuck laughed behind him with the sleeve of the robe stuck to his mouth in an attempt to appear discreet. Youngho also smiled and Kun had no choice but to embrace his little awkwardness. 

_not titles_ , Kun had asked before leaving. when Yukhei followed the order and said "watch out, Kun," Kun felt like coming home after long months of travel, or like greeting an old friend.

no longer caring how unrefined his walk might be, he half-walked half-ran to Youngho, stopping in small steps as he arrived in front of him, he looked up and met his gaze halfway and they smiled.

“hi,” Kun whispered like a nervous little boy.

Youngho let out a hearty laugh, “hi,” he replied. “ready to see the waterfalls?”

“yes!” he nodded cheerfully, his dimples appearing on his soft cheeks and Youngho didn't have the willpower to stop the back of his hand from landing on the smooth skin of his face. Kun blinked at the contact, but didn't pull away. “it will be good," he continued. “it will be you and me only.” _Kun and Youngho_. not the prince and the plebe.

“i think we're not here then,” Donghyuck was heard saying behind his back and Yukhei chuckled. Kun closed his eyes and dropped his head, Youngho imitated him only with an entertaining smile that wanted to peek as much as he wanted to hide. 

it was clesrly heard how Yukhei jumped from his seat, his feet fell almost at the same time on the wet earth, Kun only managed to see him already gently leaning on the chestnut horse that accompanied them, the other was palomino. “so,” he crossed his arms in front of his chest, “ _you are Youngho_.”

“didn't you know him?” Kun asked, turning completely to see him, Youngho perched next to him. it was strange, he had told him about Youngho the night before, but only about how they had met, what they did, what Kun felt (which he really did not know how to explain, but he tried, believe him) and he did not tell him more because Donghyuck had already given him the reference _he is Minhyung's cousin_ , Kun assumed Yukhei knew him. “Minhyung…?” he questioned in an effort to remind him. 

“oh, i know who Minhyung is,” Yukhei replied redundantly. “one of the best archers in the kingdom, but,” he turned so instead of leaning his back against the horse to lean his side, “i hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Youngho, i had only heard his name.”

“truly,” Youngho exclaimed. “i'm pleased, i don't like people knowing me.”

“ah, but you see, for my Prince i give everything and it is necessary for me to know who it is who he sees at night.”

Youngho nodded and moved even closer, so as not to leave Kun behind, he pushed him very barely by putting a hand on his lower back. “i know that and i really appreciate that you gave me the benefit of the doubt.”

Yukhei spun a small knife that he carried between his fingers entertaining himself, it was not necessary for him to look at their movements to be able to execute them, talents that were developed after so many years training, so his eyes were better dedicated to traveling all over Youngho's figure, very similar in complexion and size to his own, Kun knew that if anything there would be an inch of difference in their heights. seconds passed that felt eternal from the absence of sound, but they were gratifying when Yukhei finally stopped playing with the blade and gave a satisfied nod.

“very well,” he tucked the knife into his boot. “Kun chose you for a reason and i will only be happy as long as you make him happy.”

the weight that Kun felt was removed from his shoulders or chest or both, was a relief. he did not owe anyone anything, he could be committed to his father and all the people, that did not mean that he owed them explanations; still, Kun wanted to give his friends the world, from the little things like his trust and the affection that they also professed to him. Donghyuck and Yukhei accepted whatever was happening and that acceptance somehow meant everything, Kun was infinitely grateful.

Donghyuck approached cautiously, his hands restless in front of his abdomen, he looked first at Kun and then at Youngho and he spoke. “you do know that you can't be together, right?”

Kun's heart didn't plummet the way it should have, it did contract a beat, but continued to pump. the world he lived in was cold and cruel, Donghyuck's words, though ugly, did not represent one bit what his ears could hear. 

“clearly,” Youngho replied instead. “but while this lasts, it's worth it.”

Kun and Youngho were fine, they knew what they were up to and they knew what awaited them, that did not discourage them, quite the contrary, it encouraged them to make the most of whatever little or much they had. it was Donghyuck and Yukhei who felt the tightness in their chest, witnessing the small moment, pure, spontaneous.

“we should get going,” Youngho cut off the moment. “we will be about two days away and it would be good to go as far as possible with daylight.”

they all turned their heads to the clearing, looking across the grasses with almost no trees, surrounded by rows of pine trees, illuminated by a pale, almost cloudless sky and still looking gray.

“i think it would be better to go around the glade,” Youngho continued, Kun was squinting at the light, which although pale, was even more blinding than direct yellow sunlight. he turned his head to look at Youngho, narrowing his eyes in the same way.

Yukhei nodded vaguely, putting his head forward as his body rotated back slightly, preparing to return to the carriage. “yes,” he said. “the trees will provide us with shelter if we don't reach the hills at dusk.”

Donghyuck nodded pretending to understand and jumped excitedly instead. “let's go then!” he clapped his hands.

the only couple of packages Youngho carried with his belongings were loaded into the back of the carriage. Yukhei no longer had to go alone, both of them, in an incredibly large stride, climbed onto the outer seat in front of the car, Yukhei handled the reins while Youngho told him which way to go. they did not exchange words excessively, the wooden walls prevented them from doing it comfortably, anyway Donghyuck would yell from time to time to annoy the pair of alphas out there, and one time Kun reached out to offer them some bread. 

just as Youngho had predicted, they did not make it to the hills that very day. around dusk they decided to stop, unleash the horses so they could graze and drink water, they built an improvised fire with wood that Yukhei gathered and Youngho lit, Kun managed to shoot down a swan that was flying back to its home and Donghyuck cooked it. fabulous team managed to engage, naturally embedded. hearing the wood crunch with the heat and seeing the sparks that came off the fire float away and extinguish, Kun thought that this was where he should be, right then, with those same people.

there was no chance to change to their sleeping clothes as Kun and Donghyuck regularly did back in their chambers, but they didn't complain, they didn't even feel the need to. laid out nicely on the floor, cumbersome props taken off, and Youngho reaching out to Kun to offer him some of his body heat, Kun fell into the arms of sleep - and Youngho's - until well into the next morning, when they woke up, they cleaned everything, the fire did not have to be put out because it had extinguished itself with the cool in the course of overnight. 

the second day they experienced it in a similar way, crossing the forest, very close to the border of it with the clearing to their right. Kun watched the rough logs go by and he counted for a moment as many as he could, losing count after evergreen number one hundred and twenty-seven. they did not stop to eat, they settled for only breakfast and waited for dinner, now settled in a cave at the foot of the not very high or grotesque mountain, because the weather demanded it, cold, about to snow. 

during those nights Kun did not have to bother to lose himself in his dreams placidly for Youngho to be present, he should not have remembered where that wrinkle of concern was painted, nor the exact shadow of his lips, all he had to do was turn lying on the floor, fighting the weight of Youngho's arms around his waist and just _watch_ , praying that the flame would not go out with an inopportune blast of air to continue watching it dance on Youngho's skin, creating curious figures that Kun was trying to decipher. 

it was on the third day that the sound of falling water was heard, everyone was still in the carriage, but the peace produced by the distant sound was undeniable, Kun had to move like a curious bird in his place.

as the carriage started to stop, Donghyuck took it as the signal to grab Kun's skirts securely between his fingers, effectively holding him in place and preventing him from rushing out awkwardly as he already knew how to do.

“we arrived,” Yukhei's voice was heard without the footsteps of the horses drowning out the sound of their voices as it did when they exchanged words. “we will have to walk...” Kuk is sure that Yukhei must have said some important information that he failed to grasp when he dealt with Donghyuck's caramel hand preventing him from moving. 

“i know you'll run,” his nose twitched. “at least try not to fall and get your clothes dirty.”

Kun heard his deaf words the same way he had heard Yukhei's, he couldn't pay attention with Youngho there, who had jumped out of the seat as soon as Yukhei had announced the plan that Kun didn't hear, but he clearly saw the handsome face and part of his chest appear in the window. 

“come," Youngho said, Kun had to smile shyly at him, like a detail just there, a simple and discreet flower that could be overlooked and yet did not lose its intrinsic value, in the same way that Kun did not lose his. _white daisies_. Kun was a human representation of daisies, for his purity, his simplicity, small size and delicacy, that the colour of its skin combined so well with his representative flower was a coincidence more.

they left the forest behind and walked along the banks of the river still made up of land before reaching its rocky area, where the ground disappeared or rather formed a poorly sculpted precipice that managed to look like a work of art. they circled a little more, until they stopped in the most superficial layer of limestone rock at a safe distance from the edge, to be able to admire the bed of the river of celestial water, splashing even up to where they were, some scarce trees were born from the rock slopes and Kun had one under his feet. and behind the water, whose head one could not imagine where it was but they did follow as much as they could with their eyes they could see the rows of trees in unevenness also due to the inclination of the ground, adorning as pawns the first line of combat around the mountain, big, high, losing the green to the gray of its stones and the white of the snow that was just beginning to paint. to complete such a beautiful work of art, the grayish blue sky surrounded everything, not completely clear as in previous days, there was a halo of clouds crowning the mountain, Kun had trouble deciding whether the waterfall was the most beautiful, or the proud mountain, perhaps the wonderful sky, probably the infinite green. or maybe all together. he wanted to have taken Ten with him so that he could capture the landscape in a painting. his eyes danced restlessly, impassive over everything they could look at, trying to drink in the details, etching them like stone in his memory, but he didn't want to lose the colours, he forced himself to create a palette with the shadows. he didn't even realise when night fell.

Youngho must have noticed, the sparkle in his eyes i mean. he did not leave his side almost at all, nor did he speak, Kun did not seem to seek to start a conversation right there, but he _remained_ , and that is what made, for Kun, perfection of his day. 

“come on,” Youngho told him after nightfall, placing his big hands on Kun's shoulders and sliding them down a bit, stopping them near his elbows. through the fabric, Kun felt the cold contact. he shuddered. “you're cold,” he hadn't realised, but now that hhe mentioned it he was right. “come to the campfire, the waterfall will not go away.”

“sorry,” he whispered and allowed himself to be guided. “i lost myself. i lost track of time,” he justified himself for not having done any productive activity all day.

Youngho laughed softly. “i noticed.” they arrived at their little makeshift circle, Yukhei was already taking off his coat and Donghyuck was practically asleep. Kun flopped onto his makeshift bed with Youngho's hands around his waist, still managing his movements and lessening the impact his unceremonious motion would have had. “do you want to have dinner?”

he hadn't even eaten, or that's what he thought. to tell the truth, he didn't even remember it, but he wasn't hungry either. 

“i think not,” he shook his head. “i'm not hungry.” Youngho opened his mouth to reply when a current of air came suddenly shaking Kun's body. “i'm just cold, i hadn't noticed the weather, with this about the waterfall and how happy and calm i feel.”

“then rest,” with a smile he handed him a woolen blanket, rough compared to silk, but warmer and more effective at the moment. Kun took it, using the opportunity to brush his fingers over Younho's. they looked at each other.

“stay with me?”

Kun's eyes sparkled and whatever excuse Youngho might have said died before it was born, not that he would have said no anyway. he still tried. 

“i must,” his eyes left Kun's to look around and then returned, “i must stand guard-”

“i got you!” Yukhei yelled from the other side. “i will stand guard.”

not that Kun wanted to take advantage, but he did appreciate the offer and he took it for Youngho. 

they were clipped into the not-so-soft padding and Kun immediately leaned in as close as he could for body heat. he buried his head in the hollow where Youngho's chin met his neck, Kun's unruly hair tickled his nose and he snorted.

“itchy,” he laughed. “but you smell great, are you happy?”

Kun also inhaled the forest scent from Youngho's chest. “very.”

he didn't say more, what else was needed? it had been enough to see everything with his own eyes to decipher it and transmit it all. he closed his eyes, slowly lulling himself to the rhythmic beating of Youngho's heart. _alive_ , he thought, _that's all i need to be happy. me a_ _live, Youngho alive._ _together or not._ _just alive._

he dreamed very little of his day, more than a dream like a recount of the food, the waters, the misstep he took when he stepped on a tiny stone, the sleeping figure of Donghyuck and the unbearable heat of the campfire. in his dream, Kun may have been burning within the fire of the heat he now felt. _h_ _ow weird_ , his inner voice said, _i was cold._ he jumped in his place in his unconscious attempt to get away from the heat spreading across his skin, but he couldn't get rid of it. his body, the real one, the one that had been sleeping in Youngho's arms, jumped somewhat violently, scaring the alpha.

“Kun?” he muttered, drowsy and drunk, high on something he didn't know. “what-” - _is that smell so strong?_ he would have said if he had finished, but a new hit of the same scent hit his nose, he scrunched it up.

the Prince had turned away from him and the fresh air that he could barely feel soothed his anxiety, at the same time his turning away caused another kind of stress. Kun wanted to cry. apparently he did it without his own consent, the sob woke up Donghyuck lying a few feet away.

“my Prince!” he exclaimed immediately, Kun didn't even notice the use of formality. 

“Donghyu…” the name vanished and he replaced it with another prayer, “ _Youngho_ ,” he was still sitting, with his legs slightly bent and his weight resting on his hands, he took one off the floor to extend it towards Youngho. “help me.”

it seemed incredible, how his body began to fill with a fever and even so he kept his distance, calm. 

Youngho met Donghyuck's gaze with his scared one. 

“Kun,” Donghyuck said coming to his side. “look at me." Kun did, with crystallised eyes and trembling lips. the youngest omega brought the back of his hand to the Prince's face, the contact felt refreshing and Kun pursued that small and momentary relief. “you're on fire. your heat has come earlier.”

he already knew that, but hearing the words caused him despair. a small cramp appeared in his stomach as his body's response to the stress and Kun had to curl in on himself. “Youngho,” he called again, still consciously reaching out his hand, asking Youngho for some contact. “hold my hand.”

Youngho did and the despair ceased, but this was actually far from beginning. that's how Donghyuck made it clear when he said “we must go, now,” and yelled “Yukhei!” who appeared at the call, after taking a walk around. in less than twenty minutes Kun was lying on Donghyuck's legs inside the carriage and Yukhei and Youngho were fighting not to choke on the pheromones and not lose their way.


	10. Chapter 10

the cabin was to be no more than a couple of days away if taking their proper breaks, but now there was no time for that. Youngho and Yukhei took turns driving the carriage during the rest of the night and day, effectively cutting down on Kun's pre-heat time.

despite being faster than Kun had originally expected, it felt just as timeless. the heat he felt only kept increasing even when Kun thought he had reached the limit, the snow could easily melt under his touch. not even did the wet cloths that Donghyuck put on his forehead lessened his fever. every little movement of the car against the road produced a new discomfort, whether it was increased pain from his cramps when they ran over the root of a tree or friction of relief against almost any part of his body, Donghyuck had to open his robe to prevent it from rubbing against his extremely sensitive chest, they couldn't allow him to feel comfortable and his scent became too sweet, i mean, the bitterness that his scent glands emitted was not much better, but it at least made Youngho speed up the pace under the involuntary growls that came out his throat from time to time.

“Donghyuck,” Kun complained in a voice that sounded more sensual than pained. he turned his head like a feline to rub it against Donghyuck's leg that served as his pillow and looked up.

“goddess,” Donghyuck said in exasperation. “Kun, don't talk to me like that,” he reached out to run his hand through Kun's soft hair not yet soaked in sweat but in the process of. Kun blinked without understanding. “you can be an omega and my Prince, that doesn't mean i don't have eyes and ears,” he explained.

he laughed, because he might be on his way to lose some of his consciousness but he knew how to handle it quite well and was still lucid. “you're pretty, too,” Donghyuck rolled his eyes in response. “just,” he continued, dragging the syllable, reached out to take Donghyuck's wrist and bring it to his face. “touch me, please.”

his words did not carry any type of sexual desire, they carried rather despair that Donghyuck had heard him many times before during winters and summers, which was when Kun used to receive his heats, quite regular and very aligned with nature, another one of the many reasons why they considered Kun a jewel within the crown. but he had never had to deal with something like this in a place so far from the palace, without protection and with an audience. 

Kun batted his eyelashes to emphasise his request and Donghyuck relented, after all Kun was the type who sought more affection than sexual relief, if it was due to his nature or the forced virginity that he was forced to maintain, he did not know, he knew that Kun was quite aware and that he endured these difficult days on his own, that did not mean that he sometimes didn't rub against Donghyuck and that Donghyuck, on the other hand, had learned to deal with him. 

“thank you,” he sighed, lifting his chin so that Donghyuck could more easily run his hand over there, near his scent gland. he fell asleep with the caresses, momentarily satisfied, reaching that point of calm before the storm in his body really broke loose.

Donghyuck calculated the time, if it had started during the night (and right then it was not long since dusk had fallen), they had on average a couple of hours for Kun to wake up almost completely out of his mind. he blew some air out of his lungs. “Yukhei!” he exclaimed with his head slightly outside the window. “do you think we'll get there in the next few hours? i think it's about to hit.”

“yes,” he yelled back. “i think so, Youngho knows this area more than i do.”

“yes,” Youngho repeated this time. “in an hour, maybe.”

Donghyuck hummed and repositioned himself correctly, Kun still looked peaceful and maybe everything would work out.

it was an unfortunate bad move that caused the carriage to shudder and consequently Kun to open his eyes and blink several times in a row to shake the sleep out of them. he complained instead and shifted until he could sit very close to Donghyuck, almost on top of him.

“are we almost there?” he asked, buried his nose in Donghyuck's neck and then dragged his head to rub his forehead and cheek there.

Donghyuck shook his head and tried to distance himself. “ _Kun_ ,” he warned. “yes, almost-”

the horses stopped and the door was already opening. Yukhei's face appeared. “we arrived.”

Donghyuck helped him out of the carriage with his hands around his waist until Yukhei was able to take him in his arms, taking a deep breath, by the way, to ignore the smell. Kun clasped his hands to the lapels of his shan, placing his body in a small ball for protection. it was already dark and for that reason he could not see almost anything, only the light coming from a lamp that Youngho had lit and held at the height of his chest to illuminate them. he didn't come close and Kun didn't know whether to take it as a good or bad thing.

the priority was to get Kun to his room, to leave him on the bed so that he could arrange the bedspreads to his liking, Donghyuck left the candles lit for him and the trunks of clothes were lowered later, Youngho left them anywhere in the residence.

“there is water here,” Donghyuck pointed out the canteen they had carried on the way and that still had water in it. “that's what's left, one of the boys will have to go out for more in the morning,” he turned around after placing the container on the small nightstand next to the bed, adjusted the pillow that Kun had under his head and then stood up. “do you need anything else?”

Kun shifted uncomfortably and despite having quite a few things he could ask for, he didn't ask for anything more than for them to go to sleep. “you must be tired," his voice sounded more tired than it should. “just go rest.”

 _as if we could_ , Donghyuck wanted to say. he just nodded, bowed, and retired, leaving Kun in a kind of loneliness that was not welcome. during other times, Kun did not mind being alone at all, it hurt and he did suffer, but he did not act desperate, it was not in his tamed nature, which they had managed to control by telling him that he was the Prince, _as if i didn't know_ , and that he was not to have contact with any alphas prior to his marriage. it seemed ridiculous sometimes, really. physically, there was no way in which they could check if he was a virgin or not, when he was thrown away only with his own means to survive his heats, Kun had toys back at his residence, which although they were not the same as real company, at least they represented a form and size more or less adequate to release the stress. in that sense, he was not pure in any way. 

he still didn't understand how it was that he hadn't felt it coming. his body regularly warns him before the pre-heat with some kind of general malaise, this time he had not felt anything, or it was that he had been so lost in himself that he did not notice what his body was telling him. that could be a sign, the trance he had been in and the lack of motivation to do something minimally productive. nor had he felt hungry now that he remembers it, and he had felt a sick cold, caused by the gradual increase in his body temperature, it was regularly when it had barely risen a couple of degrees, when it still seemed like a normal fever, that he felt cold and a pain in the bones, and until it rose to a level that seemed unreal was when he wanted to almost crawl out of his own skin. Kun grunted, this was how he felt at the time. 

he couldn't find the perfect position so that his belly wouldn't hurt and his body continually brought him to lie on it, so that he could raise his hips in that way that presented that he was ready, but there was no one to attend to him and that urgency seemed silly if no one would touch him in the end. it took a lot of will to fight his body to get through the night. the fact that he knew Youngho was out there and that it would be too easy to crawl up to the door and open it to catch even a glimpse of his figure was too much for Kun. perhaps that was what had triggered his current situation. 

he struggled through the night, drenched in sweat and shifting position every five minutes. the others did not sleep either, he knew it because he had heard their voices and movements during the early morning, Donghyuck probably remained awake in his anxiety and to be alert, in case Kun needed something; Yukhei and Youngho had decided to keep watch, or so he assumed, plus the pheromones pouring out of the room were enough to keep either of them nervous. 

morning came and with it Kun trying to find his robes by groping from his place on the bed, at some point during the night he had discarded practically all of his clothes, throwing them anywhere and now he couldn't find them. he sighed exasperatedly. he pulled the covers off his body and hissed as the cold air hit his bare lower half. he wanted, _needed_ any kind of contact, but whatever he tried would be in vain and only leave him yearning for more. he had no intention of increasing his suffering and fought against all of himself to ignore his erect member and the back of his thighs soaked with slick. he closed his eyes and prepared himself for an effort he knew could potentially cause a cramp, but he ignored it in favour of leaning over the edge of the bed and picking up his robe. 

_water_ , he wanted to say, during the night no one dared to enter and Kun finished the portion that they had left him, that is why he had also taken off his clothes, because he needed something refreshing that the water no longer provided him as he had no more and because no one was going to break in suddenly, but now it was morning and the light was filtering delicately through the rice paper in his bedroom, making candles an unnecessary instrument. someone had to come to turn them off and that someone was Youngho.

“hello, Your Highness,” he greeted him as he entered and Kun's body was confused between feeling sad at the use of such a distant title or by the unintentional relief that came over him at having Youngho close. 

Kun was quite a sight to behold, as Youngho perceived it upon entering. the Prince was half-reclining on the padding, with the ill-fitted robe revealing a glimpse of his clavicles and shoulder, all glistening with the layer of sweat that also covered his neck and face, there was some hair sticking to his forehead, very close to his eyes, and many others glued to his cheeks and neck in curlers bristling with moisture from his skin. he was flushed all over his face, neck and chest, his white skin reflected like the colour of a cherry and he looked delicious. 

“Youngho,” he could barely mutter, craning his neck. Youngho forced himself not to watch the tendons tighten making his neck look longer and slimmer and totally like something he could eat for breakfast. that simple thing shouldn't have been as attractive as it seemed at the time. “what are you bringing there?”

he had completely forgotten why he had entered. Donghyuck and Yukhei had barely gone to sleep for a couple of hours, after waking hours, and Youngho had gone out to get water that he was now bringing Kun along with some fruit. “yes, sorry,” he cleared his throat. “water and something for you to eat." he approached to leave the things on the small table, Kun's omega let out a stream of pheromones at the proximity, as if wanting to trap Youngho there and he was close to achieving it. Youngho almost tripped trying to get away as quickly as possible, he looked awkward and it scared Kun, but the scent was too much, it was clouding his senses.

Kun blinked in his direction, hurt but knowing, to some extent he remained impassive. he tore his gaze from Youngho and lowered it, if Kun had been a hound he might have seen his ears drop. Kun reached out to try to reach the fruit but couldn't and Youngho watched him consider whether he really needed the food.

“need help?” he heard himself ask before thinking. Kun nodded, his expression tired. _god save me_ , Youngho thought.

they fought, they really did. Kun felt like he could jump on Youngho at any moment, but he squeezed the sheets between his fingers and accepted the relief that Youngho's scent gave him. it hurt, yeah. the overwhelming emptiness he felt inside only increased and Kun could feel as if something was tangled around his throat. it was maddening. but at the same time the daze in his head was pleasant, just with Youngho's presence in the room.

Youngho fed him some grapes and berries and also brought him water. it was torture, bringing grape by grape close to Kun's mouth and seeing the way Kun's plump lips wrapped around it. he was desperate and the water that Youngho brought him escaped the edge of the glass and trickled down Kun's lips and chin at his almost abrupt attempt to hydrate himself. he was nothing like Kun and yet he was so Kun. Youngho didn't believe that anyone in the world could look like this, smell so good, make abrupt things seem delicate, or make him feel as warm as Kun.

a new horde of cramps and slick came out of Kun, permeating the air with something that resembled an elixir, addictive, sweet, and so damn good. he stirred in place and chased Youngho's fingers that barely moved away from his lips, after giving him a strawberry. 

“ _no_ ,” Youngho told him and Kun cried frankly, crushing the alpha's heart.

“please,” he sobbed, his eyes trying not to shed tears not to look pathetic, but it only made him look more unattainable, as if stars lived in his irises. “just don't walk away,” he asked. “come close to me.”

he did not ask for much, Kun felt that he could be invincible just by having Youngho close, a hand on his forehead, his fingers between his hair, being able to bury his face in Youngho's neck. whatever. Youngho did not want - read: he did - because he was afraid of not knowing how to control himself as well as Kun in such a critical situation. his alpha did not hear him, however, and extended a hand as Kun commanded. he felt the heat emanating from Kun's white skin, he felt it almost in his fingertips; Kun could almost feel it too, the roughness of his skin appeased the fire. Donghyuck entered the room at that moment.

“do not!” he exclaimed with wide eyes, scandalised. “i leave you two alone for a couple of hours and i come across this!” they weren't doing anything, really, but under the circumstances this might well be considered a crime. “like bees to the honey,” he continued. “Youngho, you know you shouldn't be here.”

Youngho's fingers twitched into his fist at the words and Kun pouted, a couple of tears escaping his eyes as well. Donghyuck's gaze softened just as Yukhei reached his side, just as conflicted. 

“let's leave them be,” Yukhei said. the soldier's appearance was disheveled, his hair was not tied tightly and he seemed like he just wanted not to feel so responsible for something he really couldn't control. Donghyuck was slow to give in and the silence that settled as he did so could have drowned out anyone. neither Kun nor Youngho tried to get close again and maybe it was that little show of control that pushed Donghyuck out of the room. 

“aish. okay,” he said and left. the worry was far from leaving his body, but it gave way momentarily.

as soon as the door closed, they both turned to see each other, Kun's watery eyes made contact with Youngho's and he couldn't be a second further away. Youngho rushed to move and wrap his arms around Kun's waist as Kun's hands traveled around his neck, merging into a more intimate and natural hug than needy. Kun sighed and relaxed in his arms, Kun was almost lifeless there in terms of body, his interior felt more alive than ever.

“just hold me,” the omega asked, moving to make Youngho lean against the head of the bed and Kun could place his legs on either side of Youngho's, strangling his waist, but not for friction, just to be able to lean like a baby on Youngho's shoulder, also expecting caresses on the back. 

it worked. that little request worked for Kun to calm down at least for a few moments, he even fell asleep, and it was more concern about the position of his knees next to Youngho's thighs than his slick dripping through his clothes and soaking Youngho's too which made Youngho lay him on his side on the bed. it was momentary, everything was. Kun's omega might be satisfied with just the contact now, but it might turn into something more needy and difficult to quench now that he knew he could have it. likewise, Youngho tried to keep his mind calm, Kun's butt was dangerously close to his crotch and it would be so easy to just get close and grind against him. _don't,_ he told himself and just continued to knead the soft skin of Kun's hips, tracing invisible figures along his back and arms. Kun's scent intensified and if Youngho weren't hopelessly drawn to him, it might have become nauseating.

Kun stirred and groaned in pain, put a hand to his belly, moved his head to the right and buried it in the pillow, something drowned out by the cushion was heard, but Youngho could not catch it.

“sorry?” he asked, immediately sitting down to attend to any needs. “what is it?”

he received no immediate response because Kun took a few seconds to breathe and lift his head off the pillow. “it hurts," he let out tired, as if he'd run a few miles. he dropped his head again. “goddess it hurts so much. it has never hurt like this before."

Youngho panicked, what could he do? 

Kun beat him in response. now, more guided by his body than by his mind as before, he forced himself to turn around and with his hands numbed he threw off his robe again. the heat he felt was very similar to what he had felt during the night, now accompanied by a hopeless desire to be filled. Youngho would have been horrified if he hadn't been in a panic already, or if Kun wasn't as beautiful as he was. this felt bad on so many levels, like he was seeing something sacred not meant for his eyes, but he couldn't finish feeling that way when Kun made eyes at him ( _precious, by all the gods!_ ) with his hair strewn across the silk like an imperial fan and his blush spread, as Youngho had thought well, all over his chest and even his beautiful impossibly red cock. _it must hurt_.

it was very difficult to resist and Kun felt that he should feel sorry for him, that for some reason he shouldn't be so reckless, but it felt so good, Youngho hadn't even touched him and Kun felt that he had ascended, his gaze was _almost_ enough to send him down the edge, no one had ever looked at him with such adoration, it was unreal. 

he stretched out his arms to do some sort of grabby hands towards Youngho, and Youngho was a man in the end, weak and at Kun's mercy, at the mercy of a Royal, everything he had always promised himself not to do. but Kun was different. and Youngho was different. it could be. _it could be..._

any thoughts were gone when Youngho obeyed and leaned down to let Kun hug him with his arms, their faces were so close, so fabulously close, it was too easy to close the distance and bring their lips together. 

it was everything they had never imagined, because they knew their place and thus they had never really been given the opportunity to imagine. but it was all that Kun could call happiness. like everything he did not expect coming into his life at once and it was the _unexpected_ element that made him feel a thousand times better. suddenly that voice in his head resounded like a memory, _one day you will be the happiest version of yourself and it will be worth it_ , the voice had told him and now he resurfaced saying, _i told you so._

Kun cried, because he felt he could do it and he did. his salty tears sliding down his cheeks to fall between his lips, peaceful, well behaved compared to the need that grew in both their stomachs. it was so dreamy, it was easy to ignore the fact that Kun basically lay naked under Youngho. their lips collided and fit well, sweet despite the awkwardness, and shy since Kun hadn't had a chance to kiss anyone but _Yuta_ , a beta cousin of Jungwoo who belonged to a higher elite than Jungwoo, once in Ten's residence during that process that he likes to call an apprenticeship that he experienced a couple of years ago.

their noses brushed against each other tenderly and the gesture somehow calmed Kun hopelessly, as if this was a better representation of Youngho's alpha taking care of him. between kisses he caught glimpses of the pores of his skin, of his reddening lips. Kun wanted more. he kissed him one more time as best he could, now more teeth and tongue than before. Youngho bit his lower lip and Kun gasped in pleasure, his body arched and Youngho's response was to hook an arm behind his back through the gap he had left by arching. the outline of Kun's body molding to him was beautiful, snow-white, docile under his touch alone, a painting worthy of being placed in the Great Hall. he turned his lips to the side, parading down Kun's hot cheeks, slowly lowered to his jaw, not before stopping by his earlobe making Kun shudder. it was when Youngho reached his neck, at that point where it connects with his thin, scented shoulder, that Youngho felt himself giving in a little more to the temptation. Kun whimpered and bared his neck on instinct, Youngho only nosed the area, he dared to scrape his teeth against the white skin only until he reached his throat. Kun moved his hands, trembling, to uselessly tug at Youngho's garments. 

“off,” he said, and kept trying to undo the knot on the coat until he succeeded. Youngho reluctantly parted with him, but was quick and effective in discarding his top clothes. Kun let out the air that he didn't know he had been holding. he didn't know where to put his hand first and this stole a very low, dreamy laugh from Youngho.

“you don't have to touch,” he told Kun, searching his eyes until Kun conceded to see him. “leave that to me.”

anticipation ran through his veins, he wanted to object saying that he also wanted to touch. Youngho's palm wide open on his chest, applying the exact pressure to sink him into the padding, traveling up his sternum to his belly, flat and with beautiful obliques outlining his figure, Kun groaned as Youngho anchored his hands around his waist, the touch just as hot as his own skin, but not overwhelming this time, it was actually liberating. Youngho kneaded the skin there, part of his lower back and his abdomen, it was not too much, come to think of it, but it helped so much with the pain, continuous sighs left his lips.

“good?” Youngho asked. Kun frantically nodded.

“yes, but,” he took a breath. “but- _ah_ ,” it was so good that the pleasure could be assimilated to the sexual one, his body interpreted it that way and more slick escaped from his body, his legs spread by themselves. “ah, it's not enough.”

Youngho then put a hand between his legs, Kun nearly blacked out due to the idea. he felt the hand land on the inside of his thigh, collecting the liquid and spreading it down his leg and up to his hip bone, Kun held his breath as Youngho's eyes met hers. “may i?” 

Kun gulped and nodded. " _please_.”

it was all the prayer it took to wrap his fingers around Kun's member, pumping his hand in a rhythm that could be considered tortuous, but after waiting for so long, Kun had no complaint in himself. his omega, on the other hand, was eager and made him wiggle his hips to divert his attention to the area where he needed it most. “you're so impatient,” Youngho observed, twisting his head to place a kiss on his hip bone. “alright.”

he snaked down, resting his head on Kun's thigh and pushing his other leg open even wider. he didn't have a clear view of Kun's dripping hole, but he didn't think he needed an image to know that it was everything any alpha wanted but that only he would have. a new horde of liquid came out and the strong smell hit his nose. Youngho grunted.

“Youngho,” Kun sang. “Youngho, Youngho,” he repeated, Youngho would never hear his name in the same way again. “touch me, just... do something.”

that's how Kun felt a finger poking at his entrance, playing between going in and not, until finally Youngho pushed it inside. the sound that Kun let out was so glorious, like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. Youngho bit his thigh before continuing and inserting a second finger.

the relaxation was immediate, Youngho could mold Kun to his liking and the omega would allow him to without question. it was an almost unbearable pleasure, Youngho's fingers continually collided with the opening of his birth canal with how long they were, but Youngho curved them in the right way to massage all of his insides. and yet Kun felt that it was not enough.

“pretty Prince,” Youngho muttered, sticking his tongue out to lick Kun's thigh, Kun rolled his eyes deliriously. he felt the drag of the fingers inside him once more and almost screamed at how good it felt.

“ah! Youngho,” he called out. "i-” he tried once, his legs shook and Youngho knew what he meant.

“do it.”

“but- _ah, ah, ah,”_ his legs spread even wider, Youngho must have been flattered by that, by having an omega, not just any omega, but Kun the unattanable Prince, open his legs for him. “hold me, please,” there was urgency in his voice, he must have been very close. Youngho rushed at this to rise to perch next to Kun, at his same level, Kun immediately clung to him, the skin-to-skin contact sent him to the limit. " _Youngho_ ,” he groaned, the sound raising the hairs on the back of Youngho's neck. “ _alpha_ ,” he sighed and his legs dropped tiredly, Youngho pulled his fingers out before Kun could catch them there as he had caught his torso, with no intention of letting go.

it was the heavens when Kun was high at his climax, the heavens that got lost a bit the lower it went, it still felt like a kind of limbo although not as dreamy as it was for those seconds. it was momentary satisfaction, where he got a relief that was well received but not enough, the emptiness he felt inside him felt more evident, desperate and more than painful than it had been before. he sobbed again.

the sound alarmed Youngho who had been busy admiring the brushstrokes of Kun's cum on his belly. “what happened, beauty?” his eyes were wide open, Kun felt guilty.

“i want to,” he said and didn't finish. he pushed Youngho by the shoulders to knock him down and paw at his pants, hooking his fingers on the seams to drag it all the way down. Youngho kicked the cloth at the foot of the bed and was surprised when he felt Kun's body jump on him. putting his legs at his sides, Kun moved his hips to brush his ass against Youngho's long cock, already dripping precum. Kun groaned at the same time as Youngho growled. “i've never done this before,” he whispered the confession, to feel less observed under a lens, with his hands he took Youngho's to rest on his waist. “no one has ever prompted me to do it,” it was true, fpart from being forbidden, Kun lacked the desire to explore. how many before him in the same sphere hadn't broken the rules? the royal world was all corruption, Few Princes, omegas or not, had remained pure until marriage, Kun would have remained intact even after it if the person he married did not awaken something in him. Youngho, luckily, stirred everything in him, in his chest, in his stomach, in his mind. “but you.”

“Kun...”

Kun shook his head and put a finger to his lips. “i don't want to hear that this is not right,” Youngho parted his lips again to say something but Kun beat him. “or is it that you don't want me?” it was a natural reaction of his inner omega, to interpret everything as rejection from the one he longed for. 

“no!” Youngho exclaimed. “it's not that, i do want you, _god_ , you have no idea how hard this has been,” he stroked Kun from neck to pelvis. Kun arched.

“then fuck me,” he demanded. “you surely know how.”

it was a challenge that Kun recklessly put on the table, it didn't sound like Kun, but the challenge didn't sound like something that could be heard anywhere else from anyone, so it could be something very _Kun_ in the end. he took it, not as a challenge, but as an offer that he knew might never be presented again. he couldn't let it get away. 

the hand that still rested on Kun's waist went down to take the cheek of his ass, this was soft and fleshy, and with some force Youngho indicated Kun to get up to align the head of his dick with the sweet entrance, Kun needed no indication to know that he had to sink down and thus effectively impale himself on Youngho. 

“ _oh_ ,” Kun sighed. “goddess, you're so big, you are here,” he pointed to his belly. “alpha, alpha,” he repeated like a prayer. he tried to move his legs to start creating friction that made Youngho tighten his grip on his thighs, Kun's tight heat was too much to set a rhythm right away. “please, please.”

Youngho relented in the end, once he felt he wouldn't come so fast, he planted his feet on the mattress and started to make Kun bounce on his pelvis. 

“damn, you feel so good, Kun,” he said the truth. 

it was a sea of emotions in which they swam, full of pleasure and tranquility to be in the arms of the other, the other current in their sea that crossed with the good one, carried uncertainty and fear. so many things could go wrong and the only satisfaction left would be the memory of the moment and the feelings nestled in their chests , in the bed in which they lay. while Youngho turned Kun on his hands and knees, fucking into him like there was no tomorrow, Kun felt the beginning of a knot swelling at the base, he thought then he shouldn't allow it to bury inside him, but the stimulation was too good, he couldn't stop to think about the very high possibility of becoming pregnant. 

“knot me, alpha,” he asked nonetheless, nothing mattered right there. 

“yeah?” Youngho growled. “will you have my pups, sweet thing?”

Kun's body rocked back and forth with each thrust, his elbows failed and he fell onto his forearms. “yes,” Youngho groaned at that. “make me yours.”

“say you're mine.”

“i am,” Kun replied immediately, clenching around Youngho, so close to the edge. “all yours, alpha,” he paused for a moment, shaking with so many emotions. “you'll be my King, Youngho,” Kun said. “to me you will always have that place.”

they both came. and the Tianmen paled in comparison to the dimension they both reached.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i almost forgot to tell you, this is a small [aesthetic](https://tenactwayv.tumblr.com/post/644611825274699776/legend-has-it-that-hundreds-of-years-ago-a-prince) for you to get the vibes of the ffic :D

Kun would have stayed in that place all his life, where the trees rose high above them, abundant and safe, surrounding them like a kind of climbing plant acting as protection for them; he wanted to stay in this place where they could plant grass that represented thread by thread each of the minutes they spent together, with flowers - daisies - dancing with the wind, telling them that this place was pure, untouched by evil and public interests; he wanted to see his horses graze, he wanted to trip over rocks the way he would trip over obstacles, yearning to get dirty but to learn from the fall, he wished he could make senseless mistakes a lot; he wanted to carry his own water and feel a satisfaction ten times greater in knowing that it was the product of his own effort; he wanted to go hunting like omegas were not allowed to, with Youngho watching his back and then between the two of them light the fire. he wanted everything he lived through in his house in the woods the days after his heat, Kun loved it.

his heat had lasted only three more days, days that felt like just a breath, like the first drink of fresh water in a long time, or like falling into your own bed after days away. Kun hated his heats, but spending it there with Youngho was the most wonderful thing. it was heavenly to fall exhausted and satisfied and to know that Youngho would wrap his arms around him immediately afterwards. Kun was, to a certain extent, self-sufficient, he knew how to hunt at least birds, he knew how to defend himself with a sword if necessary, he did not know how to cook but something told him that he would do it fairly well if he took the time to learn. he didn't know how to collect good fruits (Youngho taught him a couple of days later), but he was smart and his thirst to learn and live in the natural world motivated him enough. 

on his bed, with both legs strangling Youngho's waist, the alpha's arms around his waist, listening to his heartbeat, while Youngho lulled him, he seemed adorable, made him feel calm, peaceful and protected. several times he woke up to find the sensation of kisses fluttering down his shoulders and back, his first reaction was then to lift his butt and stretch his arms above his head in the most perfect position (and in Youngho's eyes a work of art) for Youngho to take. who was he to deny? Youngho then took Kun by the hips and fucked him good, the first moment of contact between them was the first step of a stairway to heaven, satisfactory in the sense that it was the first and starting was always the most difficult, which is why that they had not dared to touch before that occasion. Kun dropped his head on the pillow and the “so, so full," always stifled from his lips. Kun knew that they were both lost. but one of the two had to have a little more consciousness than the other, Youngho fought not to get more lost in Kun.

“Kun,” Youngho called him, slowly rocking his hips into Kun, who moaned in little choppy sounds so tremendously hot and tender at the same time. “you should eat something,” maybe not the best time to say it, considering Kun's tight hole was sucking him in, not considering letting go of Youngho for a long time. Kun would shake his head and say something, but it was difficult to catch, Youngho had to pick him up then and when Kun felt Youngho's strong hand around his belly, fanning out above his navel until it reached his sternum and then pulling him to glue Kun's back against his chest, Kun basically purred with the position and closeness. “what did you say?”

 _“ah_ ,” he tried to meet Youngho's thrusts halfway. “that if you go out- _oh, ah_ , if you go out Donghyuck will kick you.” he could almost hear his friend's voice saying _go back, you reek._ “you have to wait for the night."”

Youngho released Kun's elbows from where he was holding him and Kun fell into the palms of his hands, Youngho again wrapped his hand around his torso and hit his chest to lift him earning a cute little squeak of surprise, Kun's body reacted to the display of strength by gushing more slick out of his hole, without separating or pulling his cock out of Kun, he flipped them over for Youngho to rest lying on his back and Kun on him with his legs wide open and Youngho ramming into him from behind when planting feet on the bed. 

“oh my lord,” Kun exclaimed, having trouble holding his neck over his shoulders as he had no support underneath it, the support that Youngho's body offered ended at his shoulders. “so strong, my alpha.”

“pretty,” Youngho growled. “you feel so good, you're sucking me in, eager pup.”

a dream. a total and wonderful dream. Kun never wanted to wake up.

when Kun's heat broke, Kun thought the illusion they had created would end along with his heat, but it didn't. it was even better. not driven by hormones and pheromones and an indescribable need, Kun was able to kiss Youngho and really concentrate on the sensation of the plumpness of his lips, he was able to stop to admire the different shades of their skins contrasting, their hair tangling, he placed his hand on Youngho's cheek and how Youngho had treated him, Kun reciprocated it already lucid, cradling his face and caressing the skin under his eyes and cheekbones with total adoration. “thank you,” he said then. “thank you for being here for me and helping me.”

Youngho closed his eyes.“i would do it every day in a thousand different ways,” he cocked his head to kiss Kun's palm. 

“show me the world then?” Kun asked eagerly, Youngho nodded and they got ready to take a bath, clean, eat and go out to do other activities. 

Donghyuck was the first to greet them as soon as they left, Kun carrying clothes and sheets to wash in his hands, earning a reprimanding look from Donghyuck. 

“how on earth am i supposed to get rid of the smell?!” he exclaimed in alarm. “we cannot return with clothes that smell like alpha. ay, _Xi Wangmu_ , grant me the strength,” he closed his eyes as if regretting the situation, but he did not look as tense and anxious as before, maybe he thought that everything was going to be okay. having his friends think that everything was going to be okay made him reach a state of calm in which he had never been before.

they laughed, drank, played, chatted. 

Youngho taught him which berries were the best on a bush to pick and to later wash and make jelly, he taught him to climb a tree, this particular action had Yukhei walking in circles around the trunk the entire time Kun was up and he didn't stop until he got down. the snow fell, a very thin layer, the winter painted calm, it could be due to the successful engagement between Ten and Sicheng, or to Hòutǔ, who adored Kun, giving him another bit of happiness. if the gods blessed him, it was impossible for him to think that what he was doing was wrong. _perhaps it was meant to be?_

they returned on the fifth day after Kun's heat ended, after Donghyuck and Kun collected the utensils used during breakfast, while Yukhei and Youngho loaded the items onto the wagon. and i don't have to tell you about their return, except that they sang and laughed more and that a few miles before reaching the palace, Youngho jumped out of the carriage and stuck his head in the window to see Kun.

“ _love_ ," he whispered in his ear. “we shall meet many times again, the same way we have done before.”

natural, happy, enriching, meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter as a gift :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just so you know, this [Kun](https://tenactwayv.tumblr.com/post/645651198691688448/just-prince-kun) is what i mean when i say Kun milky skin and black hair, i predicted it yeah.

on their return the first to greet them was Ten clad in imperial silks of the lightest of blues, happily waiting seated on a bench near the lake. familiarity was what the image inspired Kun, one of the few things that he would not change for anything, not even his burning desire to be part of the world out there. Kun wondered if the sentiment would change once Ten was married, his hair no longer cascading down his shoulders and back, but adorning his head in an everlasting natural crown. he would like that more than a heavy silver or gold crown on his head.

“cousin,” Ten's melodious voice greeted. “how did it go?”

Donghyuck came up behind him, tossing a lock of hair over his shoulder to pass around his back out of the way. without looking at them, he answered the question. “horrible,” he said in a tone of voice that anyone would have thought was expressing tiredness or perhaps disgust at the way his nose wrinkled, but Kun knew better and knew that he was expressing fear disguised as sassiness.

“ _Lord,”_ Yukhei chided in a tone of voice that hardly ever addressed anyone, regularly oscillating in silence or motivating fury, complete opposites, never in an intermediate tone that could express, to some extent, familiarity, something that he hadn't been so present before, or at least not so publicly.

“what?” Donghyuck looked at him, shrugged, and looked back at Kun and Ten. “i am stating facts, am i not?”

“certainly,” Yukhei nodded. “but it seems to me that the privacy and image of our Prince must be protected.”

Kun and Ten laughed at the same time, albeit for different reasons. Kun's laugh was one of affection that carried certain nervousness, Ten's was amused.

“nothing i don't already know,” he said after laughing. “Kun has passed one or another heat in my residence, i know perfectly well that you have to be patient.”

“come on,” the Prince complained. “you say it like i'm impossible.”

his cousin nodded. “ _you are_ ,” he stated. “you are impossible to get, _unattainable_.” Kun blinked in his direction without saying anything, allowing Ten to continue. “i wonder at times, what must the perfect person have for you to set eyes on them?”

_deep eyes. a good heart. and pure soul._

Donghyuck and Yukhei knew this answer already, Kun had to thank them by giving them the world for such a good ability to keep information to themselves and cover his back. Donghyuck diverted attention by throwing a random comment. “probably to be a foreigner, come on, when have you seen Kun set his eye on national product?”

he laughed because that was the least suspicious and the rest laughed too, they were safe for now.

Ten shook his head as his refined laughter stopped and he shifted his eyes back to Kun. “baby,” he said affectionately. “would you join me for tea?”

 _ah, a good tea_ , Kun sighed in his mind, dying to relax in that way that exchanges of comments between Ten and himself generated. _ah_ , but he had to also sit with the King and he could hear Yukhei putting things down and he didn't want to just disappear while his friends were working on downloading and putting the things of their trip in the corresponding place.

“of course i would,” he finally replied, no matter when he went, now or later, spending a while like this would at least make him feel that he had done nothing wrong and that Youngho was safe, that was what worried him the most in case of being discovered. but, yes, he would appreciate a long rest in his own bed. 

Ten seemed to read his mind. “if you want, it can be tomorrow, it's already dark, you should rest.”

“sure,” he nodded and licked his lips. “after meeting with the King, okay?” he asked by way of confirmation for their quality time together to which Ten quickly agreed. 

his cousin retired to his quarters after saying goodbye and Kun headed to the stables to join Yukhei until they finished. “it's not much, Your Highness,” the tall boy had told him.

“no,” Kun agreed, bringing a bucket of water to the brown horse. “but i want to be here.”

Yukhei gave him a fleeting glance as his hands worked to untie the second horse from the carriage, his quick examination provoked a wolfish grin. “His Highness Ten told him to go rest.”

“and since when do i obey my cousin's orders?” he responded with an offended air. 

“hmm,” Yukhei smiled again. “i've heard of a few times,” Kun wrinkled his nose. they saw each other for a few seconds and Yukhei decided to return to the topic. “you don't owe us anything, Your Highness.”

Kun knew it and it was not commitment that he felt, but a deep gratitude that he longed to reciprocate, he did not expect to be understood, he only hoped he could give it to them. “how would a day off suit you?” he said shyly. Yukhei left the saddle in place and turned around. 

“why?”

“so you can rest,” he walked towards him. “and maybe hang out with Jungwoo for a bit,” Kun gave him one of those smiles so _Kun_ : motherly, sweet, dazzling. “i know Yuta is coming, Ten won't be alone and my father will probably put Yoonoh in your place just for tomorrow, Hyuck would be pleased.”

he saw how Yukhei's shoulders fell after releasing a bit of air in what seemed to him a stunned expression. “you're quite a mind, aren't you?” he said with a smile. “well, if it's your orders, there's no way i can refute it, right?”

Kun smirked. “you can't, indeed, you must obey me.”

they finished early and Kun retired to where Donghyuck separated the clothes to be washed, the ones that had been used during his heat had already been washed in the lake near the hut, too afraid to carry traces of Youngho, these clothes that he now took out it was the last couple of days, the ones that had already been spent in the carriage and in a makeshift camp in the middle of the forest. Kun later put all his jewelry back in the respective boxes, while Donghyuck made the bed and fluffed the pillows. after two weeks in which Kun was self-sufficient (that sounds bad, but here in the palace there are eyes almost everywhere and Kun wasn't meant to lift a finger if it was unnecessary), Donghyuck happily returned to brushing the impossibly black lengths of Kun's hair, tying it in such a comfortable braid, he then tool off Kun's clothes and the Prince let himself be undressed under the candlelight. 

“it suits you,” Donghyuck whispered coming back with his nightgown.

Kun turned his head only to bring his ear closer to Donghyuck, his gaze not directed at him, while muttering a soft “hmm?”

the young omega stopped holding the cloth in his two hands and let it rest on his left forearm so that his fingers were free to bring them closer to the smooth and white skin of his Prince. Kun barely reacted to the touch with a shudder. “you shine, Your Highness,” he wrapped his tanned fingers around Kun's bare shoulder and rested his forehead on his shoulder blade. Kun didn't say anything. “so bright it's hard to look at you sometimes. Youngho has enhanced that glow in a way that didn't seem possible,” he separated from Kun and they looked at each other. “i want you to be happy so badly, my Prince.”

Kun's lips curled up in a small, honeyed smile. “i am happy, Hyuck,” he murmured. “i have always been.”

“i know,” Donghyuck whispered back in barely a breath, giving up something Kun couldn't decipher.

Donghyuck finished dressing him, guided him to his bed and Kun allowed himself to be pampered as if Donghyuck was not years younger than him, as if Kun was a child or a pup to care for. he fell asleep soon after and it was until Donghyuck woke him up the next morning that he was back on line and aware of the reality he had returned to, reality in which he had to go to meet his father wrapped in good clothes, back to the most expensive and luxurious of silks, Kun would miss the rudeness of Youngho's coat on his shoulders without wearing absolutely anything underneath, the one that he wore Just to stand up and light the candles ( _“i'm only going here two steps, love,”_ Kun had told him that time, stretching the arm that Youngho did not let go as he walked away. _“ye_ _s, but it's colder and you were warm in here, it you will get sick.”_ it was impossible not to feel the chest full of something that cannot be described, but it was also impossible not to bend and obey, Youngho had put his coat on Kun, it fell large on his shoulders, the sleeves covered his fingers completely and reached his knees, he looked small and if Youngho devoured him later, it is for you to imagine).

the sound of Donghyuck's voice snapped him back to reality. “red, Your Highness?” he carried in his hands two hanfus, one red and one emerald green for Kun to choose from, but Donghyuck had asked _red,_ Kun already knew it was his subtle way of telling him to decide that one. the Prince did and lent his body to be adorned as a temple, if he should feel flattered and adored, or on the contrary, insulted and made less, Kun no longer had the mind after years to think about it. 

“pretty choice,” Kun said to Donghyuck once he was ready, with a rhinestone tiara hanging elegantly on his forehead. 

“pretty Prince,” Donghyuck told him back and Kun rolled his eyes and gave him a barely felt blow. 

“what's going on with you since yesterday?”

Donghyuck took an earring and hung it on his own ear culminating his preparation and thus being able to go out. he shrugged. “what do you mean?”

could it be that Donghyuck really didn't know? it was not unusual to be affectionate with each other, especially when they were drunk, but Donghyuck had been strangely affectionate and Kun was grateful and felt in his heart. 

“you are very affectionate,” he told him. “i'm not complaining, but why is it?”

they left the room and closed the sliding door behind them. it was early, the sun could already be seen, but it wasn't too hot, they knew they had many hours ahead of them. Donghyuck sighed at the same time that a draft of air caressed them.

“i feel that it was a very abrupt landing to reality,” his hands accompanied his words, simulating the landing of a bird, but the collision of his hands produced a sound representative of the impact of which he spoke. “after being in that Tianmen with Youngho, i just want you to keep that untouchable air,” Kun looked away from the road to see him, his dark eyes found Donghyuck's, innocent, adorned by long lashes and his always unique mole even more above the eyelid. peaceful. he saw his younger friend gulp and prepare to continue talking. “i feel something, Your Highness,” he confessed, “and i don't know what it is, i just know that i want to protect you.”

by the way he said it, it sounded like he was in danger and Donghyuck was desperate to save him, to take him by the hand and run him far away from there. Kun wanted to ignore it, but omegas, especially close omegas, always had that special sense of intuition, it was hard to miss. he struggled to appease the sensation. “i'm here Donghyuck and i'm fine, isn't that enough?”

“it's like a dog, Your Highness,” his eyes wandered across the floor they were walking, changing its shape and design as he approached the King's court. “when it knows something is coming and it doesn't stop being anxious.”

Kun only blinked, not knowing what to say, so he said nothing. they had already reached what became the main hall and Kun only had to climb the steps to enter, the conversation had to end. Donghyuck made no effort to elaborate further, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and changed his serious demeanor to a more playful one as quickly as one blinks. 

“besides,” he added, even his tone of voice matched his expression now, “you sounded great in the cabin and i'm just a weak omega with great respect, admiration and strong liking for you.” having successfully changed the topic, he admitted a game-like truth that made Kun laugh melodiously, that was all the answer he gifted him before climbing the steps and seeing his father.

the guards opened the doors of the Great Hall and Kun stepped through the great golden threshold that gave rise to a beginning of thousands of ornaments with exquisite details. in the centre, as always, on the throne on top of three steps, was Junmyeon, wearing imperial robes the same color as his own, with the heavy-looking _fengguan_ at the top of his head, a heaviness that Kun found himself longing for deep inside he never had to carry, and that a few layers higher, motivated him to earn that place and establish good guidance. 

he arrived at the foot of those stairs after having walked the impeccable floors placing one foot in front of the other, in the way that he had perfected so much throughout his life, it was like he no longer knew any other way to do it. he gave a very quick and kind look to Yoonoh and Chanyeol standing on either side of his father, in an ephemeral gesture that for them was recognition enough. he looked back at his father and bowed his head, a little bit stiff because it was meant to be a little gesture, he didn't intend on going to low. 

“Father,” he let his voice echo through the walls of his court before raising his gaze from the polished floor to the ruler, he smiled along. “i am so happy to see you.” there were things, he knew, that would never be able to compare if he lived that simple life he longed for, perhaps if Junmyeon could be there with him too, as his father beyond the palace walls, Kun could have had peace in his heart.

the King smiled at him without showing his teeth, a little stiff if Kun dared to say so, still he was just as angelic as ever and truly pleased to have Kun there. “i'm glad you're back, son.” it was the way his eyes closed more than on other occasions and the curious wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, the expression that always directed Kun and the one that made him feel that he had done something right just by existing. Kun saw him look away from him to stretch his neck a little and see behind him, Kun wanted to turn to see what he saw. “where is Yukhei?”

he was not with them, he knew that Donghyuck must have followed him into the Hall and it was rare to see one of the three without the other or with Guanheng, Ten if Donghyuck was indisposed. “ah,” he exclaimed on a breath. “i've given you the day off, father,” he dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “taking care of Donghyuck and me for two weeks without help is tiring.”

that made Junmyeon laugh, perhaps because he knew how difficult both omegas could be. “sure,” he agreed. “but you should have sent word to me about it so i could have had Yoonoh join you.”

Kun shook his head. “it's all right, we're already here."

“indeed.” he paused and he took a deep breath, lifted his hands from the armrests of the throne and dropped them again, his ring ringing against the wood. “Yoonoh will accompany you the rest of the day and tomorrow as well if necessary,” he turned his head to the left where the soldier was, Yoonoh nodded to the directions and went down the stairs to stop next to Donghyuck. Kun could almost imagine him blushing at the closeness. “ _now_ , there are matters we must discuss,” he said bluntly, not completely serious, but making his words more important. there were always more guards than necessary in the corridors guiding to his father, and that day was no exception. Kun heard the rubbing of the clothes of some of them when they turned around and slight footsteps stirring, he did not turn to see them, not directly at least, what he did was turn his head and lower it at the same time, his chin almost touched his right shoulder and with his peripheral sight he saw the movement, confirmed later by Junmyeon with a: “leave us.”

the last guard came out and the doors closed, not a single person, apart from themselves, was left in the Throne Room. Kun flashed his gaze forward, felt his long, loose hair swaying on his back. there was a silence that was rarely heard, the royal family mostly remained in solitude, but the breaths of the few people in their service, or perhaps the mere idea of knowing that they were not completely alone, created the illusion of a less empty sound. this one wasn't like that. this one sounded more abysmal. Kun decided that he didn't want to feel it again with his own father. 

he saw his own chest rise and fall a couple of times before dare to ask what was happening. “what is the motive, father?” of the sudden evacuation of personnel. 

Junmyeon didn't tell him right away, rather he spoke to indicate that he should sit on the highest step, near the throne, which Kun obeyed despite feeling disoriented. the silence continued and Junmyeon distracted him by pulling the pins out of his hair until it cascaded around his face. it was familiar yet distant, Kun closed his eyes feeling his father's fingers brush his hair the same way they used to do in his royal room when Kun was a child, Junmyeon used to sit in the chair almost in the middle of his bedroom and Kun would sit on the floor and spend hours singing and telling stories while Junmyeon combed him into a complicated braid that few people knew how to replicate. they had stopped doing it when the Alpha King had passed away and Junmyeon inevitably had to dedicate his life to other matters, adapting more to the alpha side than the omega side that his beta status allowed him to reach. after years, here they were, different ages, different rooms and different songs. Kun smiled when he felt the peculiar shape of that braid that at the end Junmyeon arranged like a crown but behind his neck, never reaching the top of his head. 

placing the last pins, the King spoke. “a war is coming,” he whispered, there was no need to say it out loud when it was just the two of them in an empty room, a very short distance away. Kun still thought he had misheard.

“what?” he muttered looking ahead.

“yes,” his father confirmed. “we must prepare, gather the soldiers, the alphas of the nation and train them as soon as possible.”

Junmyeon wasn't really answering any questions, but Kun didn't want to ask either. he turned only when he felt Junmyeon's hand on his shoulder and as soon as he did, the King cradled his face.

“and pray,” he caressed Kun's cheekbone with his thumb. “pray that we win, pray that you will still be my baby.”

Kun blinked in his direction, eyes wide, precious as ever. no one had to tell him reality for Kun to understand it. he swallowed hard. if they lost the war they lost everything, and if they wanted to win they had to sacrifice a lot. Kun knew that if they were losing along the way, they should find an alliance that he could help win; if they won, he had to join a person in such a way that the marriage symbolised stability and promise of hope; if they lost he could end up in the enemy's hands. whatever happened, Junmyeon knew that he should give it up and Kun knew that he should get married, something that he had been prepared for all his life, because that was reality, a union of that magnitude could start wars as much as it could end them, it seemed like shame, truly, that so many soldiers would give them their effort and sacrifice their lives and that Kun with a movement that seemed simple could save them or put them at risk.

“it's okay, _baba,”_ Kun muttered, molding the name he used to call Junmyeon by as a child, when he was not yet a _father_ , but a _dad_. "i'll help and do as much as i have in my power,” he smiled, to an outsider there was no way Kun felt even an ounce of sadness. “how shall we start?”

Junmyeon smiled at him too and went ahead with the plans. “i will ask you to be the one who gathers at least one alpha per family, from each and every one of the kingdom's families.” Kun clenched his jaw. “the healthiest alphas fit to fight," he continued. “the council says how we will _shed_ as _much blood as necessary to save our kingdom,_ i prefer to say that we will use whatever effort is necessary to avoid spilling it.”

Kun lost track of time and the thread of strategy after that moment. he was there, he stayed there, because Junmyeon always groomed him to be the best - and first - omega king in their history. but he couldn't focus when his mind kept wandering to Youngho, to the imminent danger he would find himself in, the reality from which he couldn't save him. it did not hurt him to think about his possible next marriage, Kun had known ever since he could use his memory what his main objective was as an omega and as a Prince, but Youngho did not, Youngho had not been born hearing every day that he should be a soldier, that he should fight for his nation, and yet he should.

he ran out of the Great Hall as soon as he finished, neither Yoonoh nor Donghyuck were there after hours and Ten was probably still not looking for him for tea, it was Dejun who was standing guard at the door of his residence and it was very easy for Kun to fly and go through the forest feeling the braid that Junmyeon had done bouncing on his head. it was very early, dusk had not yet arrived, but Kun and Xuě already knew the way to Youngho's house, they arrived in no time.

Xuě's hooves resounded on the ground making small sounds that did not seem pleasant at all this time, they turned left and little by little they approached that little house almost at the end of the village, where he hoped Youngho would be. 

the house had a small, very tiny patio, there were not many buildings in that area that had the ability to maintain the traditional structure with a large yard and a residence built in three parts, yet Kun considered it enough since Youngho had never complained and emphasised that being just him and his mother they didn't need much more. so he walked through that courtyard by way of entrance after having jumped off Xuě and pulled her by the leash to tie her to the thin trunk of the only tree that adorned his yard, and after doing so he climbed the pair of steps to knock on the door. he gave three light knocks with his knuckles, although he could very well have simply pulled the sliding door, even in his agitation he respected privacy. it was not many seconds that he had to wait, he did not even have time to knock again when Youngho was already opening it with one shiny hand, wet with water and the other tangled in a cloth drying the excesses.

“Kun?” he asked and his eyebrows furrowed very little before reaching up to open his eyes to the realisation, he reached out with his already dry hand through the threshold and wrapped it around Kun's wrist to pull him inside. “what's going on? what are you doing here?”

the question hadn't been rude at all, but it had sounded quite confused, Kun felt bad for worrying Youngho this way. he heard the door close and took the opportunity to extend his silence for a couple of seconds when he saw the movement, the wood sliding to cover them from the outside, only the little light of the sunset penetrating the semi-transparent paper. there he sighed. “i went to see my father today,” he began, in a very low tone of voice that might not have been heard, only Youngho heard him very well and could make out the anguish. he immediately extended his arms to wrap over Kun's shoulders and around his upper back, securing him in a hug which Kun responded by by wrapping his own arms around Youngho's waist. “he says…” his voice trailed off at the end of the syllable and he took a moment to start over. “he says that... a war is coming.”

the mention of a war was enough to make anyone tense, in different ways because each one had different activities and concerns that a war could interrupt and accentuate, make worse; Youngho had his own, starting with the town and what would become of the people, the trade, everything.

Kun ran his tongue over his lips to moisten them because they had suddenly felt dry, preventing him from speaking. “they're going to gather the youngest and fittest alphas in the realm to train,” he almost jumped in place at how abrupt Youngho's nod was at hearing him. Kun tangled his fingers in the fabric of Youngho's clothes, strong, strong, his knuckles turned white and he was afraid that he would react badly, he buried his face in Youngho's chest that was at his height, in an attempt to ask for forgiveness. “i am sorry,” Youngho also tightened his hug, but said nothing. “we have good troops, those who attack are foreigners and come from the east, father says that it is better to be safe and increase the number of soldiers,” he kept silent and melted more in the embrace, listening to Youngho's heartbeat. Youngho continued without saying anything, understandable, it was rude news and there was a lot to consider. Kun slowly raised his head to see him, unshed tears were glistening in his eyes, Youngho lowered his head to see him. “they will not be the first on the battlefield, i have that for sure,” he continued speaking, informing Youngho about the plans that he did not expect would change anything, he could get angry if he wished and Kun had no right to forbid him. “if we can get an alliance sooner,” he whispered, Youngho frowned, “maybe there isn't even a need for you to attend. they will still recruit you for training, but i hope none of you have to actually get there.”

“an alliance with whom?” Youngho questioned.

“i don't know,” he admitted, his shoulders dancing a bit accompanying his response. “whoever has good troops and development potential in the future and,” he paused to moisten his lips again and looked down, “and a marriageable alpha,” he looked up again and smiled at him. “i have to do something for my country, and i'll be happy if that will save our people.”

Youngho knew, there was no way he could ignore it, that he and Kun would never be together, but that didn't make it any less painful. he did not know if it was by having Kun, the beautiful person who illuminated his life, marry someone else, or if it was the way Kun accepted the inevitable, smiling despite his pain, that gave him painful pangs in the chest. Youngho dropped his head to unite his forehead to Kun's. Kun closed his eyes and reaffirmed his grip on Youngho's clothes, not wanting to let go.

“we knew, didn't we?” Youngho asked in a sigh that even came out as a drawn-out, listless laugh. Kun's lips trembled, it was a pain that he couldn't describe, but he could see the images of himself and Youngho in the cabin in the woods, not even a week ago, having surrendered to the other, barely having had the opportunity to enjoy eachother, and even though they knew it would not last, the illusion was stronger.

since Kun did not answer the question, Youngho assumed the answer. he removed his hand from Kun's slim shoulder and raised it to the junction of his jaw and neck to angle Kun just right to land a kiss on his lips, kiss that Kun reciprocated immediately, losing himself in Youngho, in his hands, his skin, his breaths and his heartbeat under the palm of his hand. in no time Kun would walk through the streets of the villages mounted on his mare with at least ten officers surrounding him, and he would break the news, and he would see all the omegas cry in despair for their alphas, mothers and fathers for their children, other for their mates, and Kun should be strong and cold and not bow down to anguish as he did to Youngho now. he would soon pass that same street outside and Youngho's mother, whom he had never seen but assumed was identical to Youngho, would go out through the same door he entered, Kun would say their last name, and Youngho would have to go to the mountains to train and perhaps she would never see him again.

minutes or hours passed, Kun had no idea, but the light stopped filtering through the rice paper on the door and they both knew Kun had to go back. Youngho did not let him go alone, so they both mounted on Xuě and crossed the stretch of forest that led to the palace, Kun rested his neck on Youngho's shoulder while he wrapped his arms around him holding the reins, it could be uncomfortable, but they weren't going fast and it was just right.

shortly before arriving they stopped so Youngho could get down, but Kun wanted to kiss him one more time so he too jumped off the horse.

“we will see each other again,” Kun promised this time, the same way Youngho had told him. Youngho caressed her cheek. “i promise,” he smiled. 

it was night in the forest and in the woods at night you could hear all kinds of noises in the night silence, real or products of the imagination. Youngho barely lowered his head to kiss Kun when the sound of several horses approaching was heard. both jumped in their places and their heads moved frantically looking for the source, it could be anything and to defend themselves they were not very prepared. a light began to become visible to his left and Kun almost screamed when he heard Donghyuck's desperate voice saying _i_ _don't think he's around, His Highness likes to go out but it's better to wait for him in the palace, the news must have been a lot for him_. it was almost a prayer seeking to convince whoever he was speaking to. 

a blink was all it took for Yoonoh's face to become visible and Kun to stand high, throwing Youngho behind him, though his body was shaking. Donghyuck's face showed concern and his eyes widened. Yoonoh jumped off the horse and pointed his sword at Youngho.

“Your Highness,” he warned at Kun guarding Youngho. “step aside,” he ordered, Kun hierarchically had more authority, but when it came to defending or following the law, his power ended where Yoonoh's began. “i don't even have to ask to know what this is and the King won't be happy when he finds out.”

Donghyuck shook his head in small aggressive movements and ran to take Yoonoh's arm that was holding the sword pointed at Youngho whose face remained serious and very willing to accept whatever it was to come. “ _ji_ _angjun_ ,” Donghyuck begged, “maybe it's not what it seems,” Kun closed his eyes wishing Donghyuck didn't defend him like that for once in his life. 

“So you knew about this,” Yoonoh accused. Kun had to accept that he found the honour that the soldier possessed very admirable, fulfilling his duty to the letter, although his sword faltered and his arm was unbalanced losing strength for a brief moment when he turned to see Donghyuck almost hurt at the new very possible piece of information, Kun knew that Yoonoh also liked the little and young omega, this would only complicate things. Kun jumped in. 

“ _no_ ,” he said firmly. “he didn't know anything,” for being the first time Kun told such a lie, his voice didn't waver.

Yoonoh's head snapped to the front. “you know, Your Highness, that anyone who was an accomplice will go to the dungeon,” he sounded firm, and yet Kun detected a slight hesitation. 

he quickly turned his eyes to Donghyuck who looked scared and then back to Yoonoh. he nodded. “i know, the only one who deserves to go to the dungeon would be me,” he admitted, it was like digging his own grave. “Donghyuck didn't know anything, he just has a great sense of loyalty towards his Prince, a great honour.”

Yoonoh looked back at Donghyuck to his left. Kun took the opportunity to look at the few other soldiers who had also gone. he hesitated to look at Youngho, but Youngho appeared in his peripheral vision and caused him to panic. he saw Yoonoh swing his sword to follow Youngho's movements. “don't move,” he sentenced him. 

Youngho raised his arms. “i won't deny the undeniable,” Kun's eyes widened even more. “you can take me, i won't fight.”

Kun didn't cry there because his body froze, but he heard his heart, the only thing not frozen, pounding in his ears as he watched three guards carry Youngho away, leaving Yoonoh, Donghyuck, and himself behind. he doesn't think he remembers what happened next.


End file.
